Bobby Smyrniotis, Technical Director and Head Coach of Forge FC, announced Thursday the addition of David Edgar to the team’s coaching staff as an assistant coach.

Edgar, 33, made 28 total appearances (25 starts) as a player with Forge FC from August 2019 to December 2020, including 21 in Canadian Premier League play and seven Concacaf League matches. The 6-3 defender was part of Forge FC’s back-to-back Canadian Premier League championship teams, winning the North Star Shield in the league’s inaugural season in 2019 and again in 2020. He retired from professional soccer as a member of Forge in December 2020 after the club’s historic run in Concacaf League where they became the first team from the CPL to advance to the quarterfinals.

“David’s strong bond with our organization, including our roster and staff, coupled with his commitment to developing as a coach in his post-playing career makes this a perfect fit,” said Smyrniotis. “We’re excited to bring him back as a member of our coaching staff and to continue to build the foundation of sustained success here in Hamilton.”

From 2011 to 2018, Edgar made 42 senior international appearances for Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team (37 starts) with five starts as team captain. His tenure included three cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, two editions of the Concacaf Gold Cup, and one edition of Concacaf Nations League Qualifying, registering four goals and three assists overall. The Kitchener, Ontario native also represented Canada at the U17 and U20 level including the 2003, 2005 and 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup. In 2006, he was honored as Canadian U20 male Player of the Year by Canada Soccer, and finished as high as third in voting as a nominee for the Canadian Player of the Year Award in 2014.

At the age of 14, Edgar joined Newcastle United’s Academy. He went on to log more than a decade in the English leagues with the likes of Newcastle United (2006-09), Burnley FC (2009-14), Swansea City (on loan 2009-10), Birmingham City (2014-15) and Sheffield United (2015-16). Edgar made over 220 appearances and posted 10 goals in England’s top divisions.

He also had stints in Major League Soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps (2016-17) and in the United Soccer League with Nashville SC (2018) and Ottawa Fury (2018). Prior to joining Forge FC, Edgar made nine appearances for Hartlepool United in the National League (2018-19).