OPINION
There have been few young English talents over the past decade as precocious and exciting as Marcus Edwards.
The Tottenham wide man is as good a dribbler as you are likely to see with the ball, and it is understandable why he has long been hyped as the next big thing by those who have seen him in full flight.
Mauricio Pochettino even went as far as to compare the starlet to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi back in 2016, as quoted by Sky Sports.
It’s fair to say, however, that Edwards has largely failed to live up to his billing.
Now aged 20, Edwards has just one senior Spurs appearance to his name.
Add into the mix a failed loan spell at Norwich City last January, also amounting to just the one outing, and we’re reaching a point at which Edwards’ career in north London surely hangs by a thread.
Last season he was shipped out to the Netherlands, where he finally managed to establish himself as a first team regular at Excelsior, making 30 appearances in all competitions, but the most significant progress he has made appears to be off the field.
For all of his talent, Edwards was always regarded as a bit of a problem child. Slightly unruly, a little bit disinterested, the impression was that Edwards needed to improve his attitude before he could improve his performances.
And judging by his latest comments, he has done just that.
Speaking to the Independent, Edwards said: “I definitely think I’ve got a better attitude now.
“I’m just ready to kick on with my career. I think I needed this year.
“I know I’m a good player, I know I can do what I want to do. It has made me have a clear vision of what I want in football. I just want to get as high up to the top level as I can.”
It won’t be easy, but surely the youngster deserves a second chance at Spurs.