Former Tottenham Hotspur starlet Marcus Edwards, who was once likened to Lionel Messi, made a quiet comeback to English football in the January transfer window. Although Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had high hopes for the winger, Edwards only featured once for Spurs before parting ways with the club in 2019.
Seeking new opportunities, Edwards went abroad to join Vitoria de Guimaraes and then transferred to Sporting CP in 2021. Before giving Edwards his Spurs debut in 2016, then-manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “The qualities – it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.” A brief 15-minute appearance against Gillingham followed but the teenager struggled to live up to expectations.
However, Edwards did make Spurs briefly regret letting him go by scoring against his boyhood club in the Champions League in October 2022. Now on loan with Championship hopefuls Burnley, there’s a chance the 26-year-old could encounter his former team in the Premier League next season.
Edwards crossed paths with Burnley boss Scott Parker during his time with Spurs’ youth sides and the manager was eager to add the forward to his team’s promotion bid. Burnley are second in the Championship, boasting an impressive defensive record and remaining undefeated since November 3. For Edwards, linking up with the Clarets was a simple decision.
“We had a good relationship back then so when I knew he wanted me to come that was enough for me,” Edwards said. “From knowing what he’s like and how he is and the fact that Burnley is such a big club in general. It made sense.”
Edwards’ move to Burnley could be a masterstroke, given his consistent performances under former Sporting coach Ruben Amorim. Speculation during the transfer window suggested an option to buy could be part of his move, presenting Edwards with a second chance to establish himself in English football.
(Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Pochettino once lauded Edwards’ potential, saying he had “enough talent to be a top player, a great player”. This sentiment was echoed within Tottenham, with former academy coach Temisan Williams also comparing Edwards’ technical prowess with the best in the world.
“When I saw Marcus Edwards at Tottenham, I thought I saw the English Messi,” Williams said on The Overlap Breakdown. “He was that good and he was playing at an age group up at the time. He was just so quick on the ball, it was ridiculous. It looked too easy for him.”
Despite such accolades, Edwards was twice loaned out by Spurs before sealing a permanent deal with Vitoria in 2019. The less-than-ideal conclusion to his Spurs career made his goal against them all the more cathartic, as he celebrated with a punch to the air and a triumphant roar.
(Image: James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
The winger capped off the 22/23 season with an impressive tally of 26 goal contributions across 51 matches, stirring discussions about a potential England call-up. Additionally, he’s previously found the back of the net against his old adversaries Arsenal.
Earlier in the same campaign, when quizzed about the possibility of a return to English football, Edwards confessed to BT Sport, “It’s home, so of course I want to come back there [to the Premier League] one day. I just focus on what I’m doing here for now.”
Although a Championship loan deal may not be the dream return he had hoped for, Edwards has seen his wish materialise and could finally make his Premier League debut next season. Burnley are next in action against Southampton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
