thought I had the chance of playing League One football I decided to sign for Stevenage". He made his Stevenage debut on the first day of the 2011–12 season, playing the whole match in a 0–0 home draw against Exeter City. Edwards made 13 starting appearances for the club, as well as a further 14 appearances from the substitutes' bench, during the first half of the club's first ever League One campaign. Rochdale After falling out of favour under new Stevenage manager Gary Smith, Edwards joined Rochdale on 9 March 2012, on a loan agreement until the end of the 2011–12 season. The move re-united him with manager John Coleman, who had managed Edwards for six years at Accrington Stanley. He made his first appearance for Rochdale a day after signing for the club, on 10 March 2012, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute as Rochdale came back twice to draw 2–2 against Huddersfield Town. Edwards made just three appearances for Rochdale during his loan spell due to a knee injury. At the end of the season, Edwards was released by Stevenage when his contract expired, after just one year at the club. He made 27 appearances during his time at Stevenage. Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Edwards signed for Rochdale on a permanent basis having briefly played on loan there the previous season. He signed a one-year deal with the club. He played regularly throughout the campaign, making 48 appearances in all competitions as Rochdale finished the campaign in a mid-table position. Burton Albion He opted to leave Rochdale after his first full season there, signing for fellow League Two club Burton Albion on a free transfer on 29 June 2013. On signing Edwards, Burton manager Gary Rowett stated "In Phil we have a player who knows what it takes to be successful at this level as well as the league above and he is a very consistent performer. At 27 he's also at a good age to continue progressing and I'm sure he'll prove to be a big asset to the club". He made his Burton debut in the club's first match of the 2013–14 season, a 2–2 draw with Cheltenham Town on 3 August 2013. Edwards scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away victory at Exeter City on 26 October 2013. He played regularly in defence during his first season with the club,