There is a certain irony that Ebbsfleet’s longest-serving player of recent times will be most easily remembered for making one of the briefest appearances in football history.

More than 10 million people have viewed the YouTube video of Preston Edwards being sent-off just 10 seconds into a match against Farnborough in 2011.

Sold impossibly short by Ryan Blake’s scuffed backpass, Edwards raced out and dived at the feet of Kezie Ibe, bringing the striker crashing down inside the box. Referee Neil Hair whipped out his red card and, in that split-second, Edwards became an internet sensation. He stormed from the field ranting and raving, tearing off his left glove and hurling it to the floor.

The image is unforgettable but what should stick in the memory even more is the brilliant service the 25-year-old gave Ebbsfleet from the moment he arrived in summer 2010.

His career was heading downhill after a disastrous season at Grays Athletic and Edwards desperately needed someone to take a chance. That man was Liam Daish.

"My agent got in touch with Daishy and we just went about it like that," Edwards recalled. "I went down for a few training sessions and they signed me after that.

"That first season was probably my best in terms of enjoyment. We got promoted and the squad was more united than I’ve ever seen.

"Most of my friends from Ebbsfleet are from that first season – Ram Marwa, Paul Lorraine and Clint Easton. I’m still good friends with them. With the disappointment of getting relegated the year before, to come straight back up with people who had just come in that summer, it was a great achievement."

Daish galvanised a group of strangers and Edwards attributes that to one thing.

He said: "Honesty – it was a simple as that. He told you straight and I loved that. Sometimes you hear things behind your back, you hear rumours and you don’t know whether it’s true or not but with Daishy, he was straight-up honest.

"I enjoyed the second season, in the Conference Premier, when people thought we’d be relegation certainties and we managed to get 14th place.

"We thought we’d get off to a great start and didn’t win in our first six games. I’ll always remember that. It was Braintree away, we were 2-1 down and came back to win 3-2. After that, it kick-started.

"I’ll always remember Redbridge away, though, in the FA Cup when we lost 2-0. I remember Daishy going mental – that was a bit scary.

"There were many highs and lows during my time at Ebbsfleet but more highs."

Another highlight was Edwards’ call-up to the England C squad. He carried his club form onto the international stage and became the regular No.1 at home and abroad.

Edwards said: "There’s not many people in the world who can say they’ve captained their country. That was the greatest honour of my life, captaining England. I played many times and I enjoyed my game at Dartford when we played Turkey and I got man-of-the-match.

"Those are the times where you’re proud of yourself and you want to make the most of it."

But there wasn’t much to smile about when Edwards returned to his club. Ebbsfleet were hurtling towards relegation and probable extinction under the online ownership of MyFootballClub. There were also problems in the changing-room.

Edwards said: "There were a few personnel in the squad who didn’t click. We just didn’t get on that season and I’m not going to hide away from the fact that I clashed with a few people.

"The scenes in the background didn’t help but it didn’t disrupt me too much because I had a good season and won player-of-the-year.

"Maybe it was a bit too much for us that year in terms of the size of the clubs we were facing and the players we recruited."

Relegation was confirmed and Edwards left Stonebridge Road at the end of the season believing he’d never play there again.

He said: "I remember writing a little goodbye note because I thought that was the end of the club. We played Tonbridge and it felt like a ghost town. There was no enthusiasm around the club or the fans.

"Then, all of a sudden, the KEH Group came in and revitalised the club and it’s only for the good."

With new owners came a new manager, Steve Brown, who only retained four members of Daish’s squad. Edwards was one.

He said: "We got to the play-off final and it was a great achievement. It was just so disappointing that we lost in the final against Dover when I felt it was up for grabs.

"These things happen and you move on but the next season was a disaster to say the least."

Fleet’s shortcomings in 2014/15 under Brown and then Jamie Day have been well documented but there were also personal battles for Edwards, who found himself out of the team for long spells.

He said: "Brandon Hall deserved to play. He was patient and did well when he came in. He’s a top goalkeeper, who can play for Ebbsfleet for many years.

"It was just one of those things. I got sent off, it got appealed and they won it but I didn’t get put back in. After that, I didn’t get back in the team, which is fair enough if someone’s doing well in front of you.

"I asked to go out on loan and then I got injured when I was meant to go on loan to Nuneaton. I was injured for a few months.

"I got my opportunity as soon as I got fit, under Jamie Day, but I just don’t think I made the most of it. It was the first 10 games of my Ebbsfleet career when I was disappointed in myself."

Day had already overhauled his squad and there were whispers of more changes.

Edwards said: "It didn’t help when I heard he was going to bring a goalkeeper in – while I was playing.

"Confidence is a massive thing and I wasn’t confident at that time anyway. I thought 'am I not good enough?'

"But I can’t look at it too personally because he got rid of most of the team! After that, I knew it was time to move on."

Even a change of manager didn’t change the outlook for Edwards, with Day’s successor Daryl McMahon choosing Hall as his No.1 and signing Jon Miles from Spurs as back-up.

But unlike his YouTube moment, he's more circumspect about this exit.

Edwards said: "A change of scene will be good. I’m still going to be an Ebbsfleet supporter because I’ve been there for five years and I’ve got many good friends there.

"I think they've recruited very well this summer. They’ve definitely got the best squad in the league – it’s just whether it can gel or not. Macca can definitely get them up.

"I think they can drive forward and take the league by storm. I hope they get promoted and they win the league.”

And what does the future hold for Edwards himself?

He said: "I still want to play League football. I’m still young as a goalkeeper. There’s not many goalkeepers at the age of 25 who have played over 300 games.

"If I do well in the Conference Premier, there are more people looking at you.

"I believe in my ability and just want to make the most of it because it’s only a short career."