Parsippany Native Signs Major League Soccer Contract

PARSIPPANY, NJ - It is a long way from the Parsippany Soccer Club, but the lessons learned on the town fields have propelled 24-year-old Bobby Edwards to Major League Soccer.

Last month the goalkeeper signed with FC Cincinnati.

The son of Sarah and Jeff Edwards, the pastor of the Parsippany United Methodist Church, Bobby Edwards began his life as a soccer player with the Parsippany Soccer Club with two years of rec soccer and then three years of travel soccer, a majority of which was spent with his father serving as his coach.

After playing for Parsippany High as a freshman, Edwards transferred to St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, the leading high school for soccer in the country. Following high school Bobby played four years of Division 1 soccer for three different schools. Summers were spent playing in the USL II, with the first two spent locally with the Red Bulls before transferring to the South Carolina Bantams for his final two seasons. It was there in 2019 that Edwards was named the outstanding goalkeeper of the seventy-two teams nationwide.

In July, Edwards signed a contract with Portadown FC a professional football team in Northern Ireland. For the six months Edwards played in goal Portadown gave up the fewest goals in the twelve team league and quickly took possession of first place. Edwards was twice voted the team’s player of the month.

With multiple articles appearing in local Belfast newspapers about the head-turning American keeper and two videos of Edwards making saves going viral Edwards soon found himself receiving attention from several clubs in England and Scotland. In November and December Edwards was flown three times to England to spend weeks on trial, first with Shrewsberry Township in the third division, then Blackburn in the second division, and finally to Burnley in the internationally renowned English Premier League.

Edwards was offered a contract with Shrewsberry Township, but challenges obtaining work permits to play football in the United Kingdom led Edwards to return to the states to accept a three-year contract with Cincinnati FC in Major League Soccer League.

The regular season begins on March 1 with an away game at Red Bulls Arena in Harrison.

The upcoming season will be FC Cincinnati’s second in the MLS. The team is in the process of building a new stadium.

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