There is something fitting about Joe Edwards finally getting his League One start in the same week Plymouth Argyle climbed to the top of the table. The skipper has been part of virtually every significant moment in this club's recent history, and his return to the first-choice eleven, after a summer knee procedure kept him out of pre-season entirely, feels like a small but meaningful piece of the jigsaw clicking back into place.

Edwards, 35, started Saturday's 2-0 victory at Leyton Orient, Argyle's 288th appearance for the longest-serving player at Home Park. He has been at the club since the summer of 2019, long enough to have experienced promotion from League Two and the remarkable 101-point title campaign of 2022-23, when he lifted the trophy himself. He also scored the goal that kept Argyle in the second tier on the final day of the 2023-24 season. The man knows what it means to be in a tight spot and come through it.

This season has required a different kind of patience. Missing all of pre-season after the knee procedure, Edwards has had to manage his workload carefully, working his way back through substitute appearances in the league and a start in the Jersey Mike's Trophy fixture against Crystal Palace Under-21s last month. The league side, though, has been performing well enough that there has been no obvious vacancy for him to fill.

"I missed all the pre-season so it was about managing myself and trying to get myself ready to a level to help," he told BBC Radio Devon. "Luckily I've been able to come on in games and help some of the results and the boys have been fantastic, I haven't had a complaint of not starting because they've been doing really well."

The 1-0 defeat at home to Burton Albion last week, Argyle's first league loss of the season, may have opened the door. Whatever the precise reasoning, Edwards was ready when his name appeared on the teamsheet, and the result at Brisbane Road vindicated both him and the side.

"It was just a nice feeling to get back out there and have a positive result and performance and long may that continue," he said.

The win at Orient moved Argyle to the top of League One, the first time they have occupied that position since Edwards led the promotion celebrations back in May 2023. He is, characteristically, in no hurry to declare it meaningful at this stage of the campaign.

"We can only get the points we can and we've got more than anyone else at the minute and it's a good place to be," he said. "You'd rather be there than not I guess, but we've got a long season ahead of us and I've been in this position before and once you do get there it's important to stay there and keep your feet on the ground."

That is a straightforward, experienced read of the situation. League One tables in September carry only so much information, and Edwards has been around long enough to know that the clubs who are still up there in March are the ones who matter. Tom Cleverley's side have made a promising start, but the fixture list will thin out the pretenders soon enough.

What the Edwards return does offer is depth and leadership at the back end of the squad. A captain who can come into a side that is already functioning well, and slot in without disruption, is not something every third-tier club can call upon. Whether he holds his place or rotates back into a squad role will depend on the weeks ahead, but the fact that his return coincided with a clean sheet and three points on the road is at least an encouraging sign for everyone involved.

Frequently asked

When did Joe Edwards return from injury for Plymouth Argyle?
Edwards made his first League One start of the 2024-25 season in the 2-0 win at Leyton Orient, having been sidelined since undergoing a knee procedure during the summer and missing all of pre-season.
How long has Joe Edwards been at Plymouth Argyle?
Edwards has been at Home Park since the summer of 2019, making him the club's longest-serving player. The Orient win was his 288th appearance for the club.
Are Plymouth Argyle top of League One?
Yes. The 2-0 victory at Leyton Orient on Saturday moved Plymouth to the top of the League One table, though manager Tom Cleverley and skipper Edwards have both urged caution given how early in the season it is.