Toby Edser

Toby Edser

Toby Edser playing for Ebbsfleet United in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Toby George Edser [1]
Date of birth	(1999-02-28) 28 February 1999 (age 25) [2]
Place of birth	Guildford, England [2]
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) [3]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Ebbsfleet United
Number	17
Youth career
	Guildford Saints
2007–2014	Fulham
2014–2015	Charlton Athletic
2015–2018	Nottingham Forest
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	Nottingham Forest	0	(0)
2018	→ Woking (loan)	11	(2)
2019	→ Port Vale (loan)	0	(0)
2019	→ Woking (loan)	13	(1)
2020–2022	Aldershot Town	62	(5)
2022–	Ebbsfleet United	80	(12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:31, 28 April 2024 (UTC)

Toby George Edser (born 28 February 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League club Ebbsfleet United.

Edser began his senior career at Nottingham Forest and spent time on loan at Woking and Port Vale. He never played a first-team game with Nottingham Forest and joined Aldershot Town after being released in June 2020. He joined Ebbsfleet United after two seasons with Aldershot and helped Ebbsfleet to win the National League South title at the end of the 2022–23 season.

Early and personal life

Edser is from Burpham and attended George Abbot School. ^[4]

Career

Nottingham Forest

Edser was spotted by Fulham playing for the Guildford Saints as an eight-year-old, and was signed to the club's Academy until his release at age 15. ^[4] He was then an associated schoolboy at Charlton Athletic, before he signed a two-year scholarship at Nottingham Forest in 2015. ^[5] He helped Forest's under-18 team to win their league and reach the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup during the 2015–16 season. ^[6] He went on to captain the under-23 side the following season and was an unused substitute for the first-team in the Championship, first appearing on the bench at the City Ground in October 2016; it was reported that he was expected to have made his senior debut had Mark Warburton's side not taken until the final day of the season to secure safety from relegation. ^{[7] [8]} He went on to sign a new three-year contract, ^[9] but found breaking into the first-team more difficult during the 2017–18 season due to an influx of midfielders signed in the summer. ^{[10] [11]}

On 19 October 2018, he joined National League South side Woking on a one-month loan deal. ^[4] He made his debut for the "Cardinals" at the Kingfield Stadium the next day, helping his new team to beat Welling United 1–0 in the fourth qualification round of the FA Cup. ^[12] After his loan was extended he scored his first goal for the club on 24 November, in a 2–0 victory over Folkestone Invicta in the third qualification round of the FA Trophy to secure the "Cards" a place in the first round proper of the competition. ^[13] Woking went on to cause a cup upset in the second round proper of the FA Cup, knocking out League Two side Swindon Town at the County Ground. ^[14] He scored a total of four goals in 19 appearances for Alan Dowson's Woking. ^[15] On 31 January 2019, he joined League Two club Port Vale on loan until the end of the 2018–19 season. ^[16]

He returned on loan to Woking in August 2019, who were now playing in the National League. ^[17] He later said he regretted leaving Woking after his first spell. ^[18] He was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2019–20 season. ^[19]

Aldershot Town

On 18 September 2020, Edser signed with National League side Aldershot Town and said that "I'm really happy, it's been a bit stressful over the last few months". ^{[20] [21]} He scored four goals in 43 league appearances in the 2020–21 season and was re-signed for another year. ^{[22] [23]} However, he missed two months of the 2021–22 campaign with injury, marking his return to fitness in January with a goal in a 1–1 draw with Maidenhead United at the Recreation Ground. ^[24]

Ebbsfleet United

In July 2022, he signed for National League South side Ebbsfleet United following a trial. ^{[25] [26]} He scored twelve goals from 47 appearances in the 2022–23 season, including a hat-trick in a final day 5–0 win over Hungerford Town at Stonebridge Road. ^{[22] [27]} Ebbsfleet won the National League South title, setting a club record of 32 wins and 109 goals. ^[28] He then featured 39 times in the 2023–24 season. ^[22]

Style of play

Edser has been described by the Port Vale club website as "a talented playmaker with a strong technical ability". ^[6] The Nottingham Forest club website stated that "his intelligence on the ball allows him to dictate play wherever he is on the field". ^[29] He has described himself as "quite a leader on the pitch". ^[30]

Career statistics

As of match played 20 April 2024

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nottingham Forest	2018–19 [31]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Woking (loan)	2018–19 [22] [15]	National League South	11	2	4	0	0	0	4 [lower-alpha 1]	2	19	4
Port Vale (loan)	2018–19 [31]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Woking (loan)	2019–20 [22]	National League	13	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	1
Aldershot Town	2020–21 [22]	National League	43	3	1	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 2]	1	47	4
	2021–22 [22]	National League	19	2	1	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	21	2
	2022–23 [22]	National League	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		62	5	2	0	0	0	4	1	68	6
Ebbsfleet United	2022–23 [22]	National League South	43	11	3	1	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	47	12
	2023–24 [22]	National League	37	1	1	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	39	1
	Total		80	12	4	1	0	0	2	0	86	13
Career total			166	20	11	1	0	0	10	3	186	30

1. Appearance(s) in the FA Trophy and the Surrey Senior Cup.
2. Appearance(s) in the FA Trophy.

Honours

Ebbsfleet United

• National League South: 2022–23 ^[28]

References

1. "Retained List 2016–17" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
2. "FootballSquads – Port Vale – 2018/2019". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
3. "FootballSquads – Port Vale – 2018/2019". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
4. Clive Youlter (19 October 2018). "Woking loanee ready to 'kick on' his career after Nottingham Forest switch". Get Surrey. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
5. "Profile". Nottingham Forest F.C. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
6. McLellan, Max. "Toby Edser signs on loan for the Vale". Port Vale F.C. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
7. Taylor, Paul (11 July 2017). "Edser hoping to follow in footsteps of Worrall and Brereton at Forest". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
8. "Nottingham Forest 1–2 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
9. Pallatt, James (11 August 2017). "Toby Edser is 'star to come' at Nottingham Forest". NottinghamshireLive.
10. Cooper, Barry (30 October 2017). "Forest teenager Toby Edser open to loan move to become a 'better player'". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
11. Taylor, Paul (1 September 2017). "Forest's philosophy gives Edser hope he will get a chance under Warburton". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
12. Stobbart, Dan. "Woking Football Club | First Team | Match Centre | Woking 1 – 0 Welling United". www.wokingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
13. "Edser stars as Woking cruise | Woking News and Mail". Woking News & Mail. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
14. "Forest midfielder Toby Edser helps Woking spring FA Cup shock". Nottingham Post. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
15. "Woking Football Club | First Team | League Table & Stats 2018/19". www.wokingfc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
16. "Port Vale: Kyle Howkins, Callum Whelan and Toby Edser join on loan". BBC Sport. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
17. "Toby Edser returns". Woking FC Official Site.
18. Page, Stephen (29 August 2019). "Toby Edser is back to loving life with Cards as he cracks winner". SurreyLive.
19. "Retained list 2020" (PDF). efl.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
20. "NEW SIGNING: Shots Sign Edser! | Aldershot Town FC". 18 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
21. Pallatt, James (19 September 2020). "Former Forest prospect Edser has a new club". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
22. Toby Edser at Soccerway
23. "Searle continues to build squad to fire Shots ahead". 30 June 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022– via PressReader.
24. "Aldershot Town 1-1 Maidenhead United: Comeback kid Edser on hand to save Shots". The Non-League Football Paper. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
25. "Edser-prise as 'Trialist A' signs for season".
26. "'Trialist A' lands Ebbsfleet deal". 27 July 2022.
27. Panting, Matthew (30 April 2023). "'I saw from the first day he's an outstanding footballer'". Kent Online. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
28. Miller, Ed (29 April 2023). "Fleet 5-0 Hungerford Town". Ebbsfleet United Football Club | Official Website of the Fleet. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
29. "Toby Edser – Midfielder – Under 23s – Nottingham Forest". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
30. Cooper, Barry (19 October 2018). "Forest youngster Toby Edser relishing chance to play football for Woking". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
31. "Games played by Toby Edser in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 July 2018.