Marcus Edwards was once compared to Lionel Messi and made a low-key return to English football during the January transfer window. The 26-year-old was once tipped as Tottenham Hotspur’s brightest academy prospect but made just a single appearance before leaving the club in 2019. Expanding his horizons, Edwards joined Vitoria de Guimaraes followed by a move to Sporting CP in 2021. Ahead of handing a teenage Edwards his Spurs debut in 2016, 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.” The then-17-year-old was given a 15-minute cameo against Gillingham the next day but never fulfilled his promise in north London.
Edwards has come back to haunt Spurs once before, scoring against them for Sporting in the Champions League in October 2022. His loan move to promotion-chasing Burnley could mean it is only a matter of time until their paths cross again in the Premier League. The former Spurs starlet previously worked with Burnley boss Scott Parker during his time with Tottenham's youth sides. The Clarets sit second in the Championship, conceding only nine goals in 31 games, and remain unbeaten since November 3. Parker was keen to strengthen his attacking options, and it was an easy choice for Edwards.
"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.". His arrival is a coup for Burnley as Edwards was previously a regular under former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim. There were reports earlier in the transfer window that his move to Burnley would include an option to buy and Edwards would surely be keen to finally prove himself on home soil.
Pochettino believed that Edwards had “enough talent to be a top player, a great player” and wasn’t the only person connected to Spurs who likened the ex-England U20 international to Messi. Former academy coach Temisan Williams described the winger as the best technical player he had worked with and understood the comparisons to an all-time great. “When I saw Marcus Edwards at Tottenham, I thought I saw the English Messi,” Williams admitted 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 this high praise, Edwards was loaned out twice before joining Vitoria permanently in 2019. The frustrating end to his time at the club meant that when Edwards scored against Spurs three years later, he punched the air and roared in celebration. The winger ended the 22/23 season with 26 goal contributions in 51 games, prompting talk of an England call-up, and has also scored against former rivals Arsenal in the past. When asked about possibly returning to England earlier that campaign, Edwards told 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.".
It may not have come under ideal circumstances, but Edwards finally has his wish. He could make his Burnley debut against Southampton in the FA Cup on Saturday. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
