Tottenham Hotspur gave debuts to a number of hugely talented players against Gillingham, but it was Marcus Edwards who the fans were most eager to see.
So after all the fanfare surrounding Tottenham Hotspur wonderkid Marcus Edwards, across several years of him shining at academy level, the 17-year-old attacking midfielder finally made his competitive debut for the Premier League side in the League Cup win over Gillingham.
Edwards had already caught the eye with the first team in pre-season friendlies against Atletico Madrid, and especially versus Juventus, but now the rumours of contract problems and expected first team chances have given way to the outrageously skilful Englishman seeing proper game time at White Hart Lane in a proper fixture.
Tottenham’s Marcus Edwards in action against Alex Sandro of Juventus
The youngster’s chance finally came in the 75th minute, as he made his first senior appearance coming on for goalscorer Vincent Janssen, the man to carry Tottenham’s attacking hope with Harry Kane out injured.
And despite seeing little of the ball in his first couple of minutes on the pitch, Edwards quickly demonstrated why he is a player who has cultivated such excitement at Spurs, and within English football in general.
His burst of pace, agility and close control when turning with the ball was there for all to see in the last few minutes of what was a comfortable win for Spurs.
The England Under-18 man breezed past the challenges of Gills midfielders and defenders on several occasions, as he dropped into space in attacking positions.
Displaying a confidence to take his game to the opponent, Edwards called for the ball frequently while he was on the pitch, and didn’t look remotely afraid to run at the defence. It almost led to a debut goal for the academy star, as he showcased a fierce shot that belies his slight appearance which was palmed away.
Sure it was with Spurs winning 5-0 against League One opposition, but even the very best have to make a first appearance somewhere, and Edwards certainly made it clear that if he works hard, he is a player with some future.
With his stature, his exquisite left foot and his dribbling ability, one could say it was irresponsible to draw an obvious comparison to arguably the best footballer of all time, Lionel Messi – until you remember that it was Edwards’ usually composed manager Mauricio Pochettino that made those comments, published here in the Guardian, and that Tottenham’s Argentine boss is arguably one of the best in the world at providing Edwards with the tools for looking to emulate such a lofty figure.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
