The Tottenham Hotspur teenager’s wait for his first senior start goes on.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking to reporters ahead of his side’s EFL Cup match against Barnsley, with his comments published by the London Evening Standard.
Among the subjects being discussed was the prospect of teenager Marcus Edwards making his first senior start for Spurs, and despite many fans desperate to see his inclusion, their manager looks set to leave them disappointed for a while longer.
“We’re so happy because he played very well against Manchester United and then, in the Youth Cup, he was very good,” Pochettino told the Standard.
“But I think we need to wait a little bit for him to build more his physical condition and his confidence. He’s better playing in the under-23s or the Youth Cup than staying with us, maybe on the bench.”
That is not only a blow to those Tottenham fans eager to see him build on a 15-minute cameo against Gillingham last season, but also to the player himself, who is believed to have turned down a loan spell in order to push for first-team football in North London.
If that is true, it seems Pochettino still feels Edwards is some way off challenging his current first-team stars, even if an EFL Cup game against lower league opposition would seemingly be the ideal chance for him to prove his worth.
There is no doubt Edwards’ time will come. However it seems to be a way off and it will be interesting to see how he performs for Tottenham’s second string after this latest potential setback…at least in terms of his own hopes.
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