Scouting Report: Marcus Edwards

Whether you're Bojan Krkić, Ryo Miyachi, or Alen Halilović, being called the next Lionel Messi tends to be a curse rather than a blessing. In September 2016, then Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino gave 17-year-old attacking talent Marcus Edwards the same treatment. "The qualities -- it's only looks, his body and the way that he plays - remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi."

Edwards joined Tottenham's academy aged eight and rapidly progressed through the ranks, and went on to represent England from U16 to U20 level. In the 2017 European U-19 Championship, he came off the bench in the semifinal against the Czech Republic and provided the assist for Lukas Nmecha's winner. England advanced to the final, where they would defeat Portugal.

The day after Pochettino likened him to Messi, Edwards was handed his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Gillingham in September 2016. Unfortunately, his momentum came to an abrupt halt the following month when he injured his ankle and faced a long spell on the treatment table.

Unable to secure a place in Spurs’s first team squad, Edwards was sent on loan to Norwich City in January 2018 so that he could gain first-team experience. Unfortunately, the youngster struggled for playing time amid reports of poor behavior, making a sole six-minute cameo for the Canaries during a 2-0 loss to Fulham, before returning to Tottenham in March for "personal reasons."