Ex-Tottenham coach Les Ferdinand is tipping Marcus Edwards to be “the next big thing” at White Hart Lane, and possibly at international level too.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior debut last week, coming off the bench in Spurs’ League Cup victory over Gillingham.
Mauricio Pochettino has done little to temper the excitement by stating that Edwards’ diminutive frame and style of play reminds him of a young Lionel Messi. And Ferdinand, who worked in Spurs’ academy along Chris Ramsey and Tim Sherwood before becoming QPR’s director of football, is unsurprised to see the teenager making headlines already.
“I obviously worked with and saw a lot of youngsters while I was at Tottenham, and Marcus Edwards is right up there,” said Ferdinand in an exclusive interview. “It’s no surprise to me to see Mauricio Pochettino now putting him in and among his first-team squad. “At every age group he impressed and on the sidelines we spoke about how good he was and how good he could be in the future. Every step up he’s made, he’s taken it in his stride. He looked to be a class above the other players on the pitch.
“Tottenham have obviously got an excellent record of developing and nurturing talent and I genuinely think this kid is the next big thing. “He’s got pace, power and skill – he has it all. I think he has the capability to be a huge player for Tottenham in the years to come and maybe England too – he’s certainly got the potential.”
(Ham & High)
