If Tottenham academy product Marcus Edwards didn’t already have too much hype to live up to, Mauricio Pochettino just added a heaping spoonful more.
The 17-year-old’s star has risen considerably over the past year. He impressed his coaches in the academy system before signing a contract extension that will keep him at the club through 2018.
As part of that new deal it was rumored that Edwards was assured of a chance with the first team at some point in the coming season. Tottenham’s EFL Cup match against League One side Gillingham on Wednesday might be the perfect opportunity for his debut.
Pochettino’s comments ahead of the match hint that Edwards might feature more prominently than was previously suspected. Though he joined other academy products Harry Winks, Josh Onomah and Tom Carroll on the matchday squad, it remains unclear if he will start from the bench or pitch.
Regardless, the debut of the player known around the club as Mini Messi is hotly anticipated. Pochettino didn’t attempt to shy away from the reputation that earned Edwards’ his nickname.
“His qualities … it’s only looks – his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of [Barcelona forward Lionel] Messi,” he said in a pre-match press conference.
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In a pre-season tour of Australia, Edwards showed glimpses over two appearances of the ability Pochettino alludes to here. As a nominal number 10, Edwards silkily by-passed defenders from both Juventus and Atlético Madrid, suggesting a preternatural ability to find and exploit space.
How well that translates into success in the Premier League remains to be seen however. To his credit, Pochettino watered down his hyperbolic praise by noting that there is still progress to be made.
“He is a very good prospect and, potentially, he can be a top player but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player, but now it’s how he builds his future — that’s very important,” the Tottenham manager continued.
Pochettino’s kind words weren’t limited to Edwards. In talking about who else might be available for the match against Gillingham, he pointed out United States under-21 international Cameron Carter-Vickers.
While Edwards might begin the match from the bench, Carter-Vickers is expected to start. He too has earned his chance with Tottenham’s first team after some surprisingly composed performances in pre-season, and Pochettino was similarly effusive about the 18-year-old.
“For me, he can be one of the best centre-backs in England in the future,” Pochettino remarked. “He has a strong mentality and all the qualities for playing centre-back.”
Pochettino himself featured at centre-back for Espaynol and Paris Saint-Germain in his playing days, a fact he wryly made reference to in his comments about Carter-Vickers.
“Does he remind me of myself as a player? No, he is better than me. I said one of the best centre-backs in England.”
For many Tottenham fans, it’s refreshing that Pochettino is still so willing to mine for options in the club’s academy. The club strengthened its bench considerably over the summer, so that the likes of Winks, Onomah, Carter-Vickers and Edwards could all still expect to earn minutes is a testament to Pochettino’s focus on youth.
Even if the Gillingham match isn’t exactly prestigious, minutes are minutes — and Tottenham are better off for giving their kids experience early and often.
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