Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that Marcus Edwards possesses some of the same qualities which Lionel Messi displayed early in his career.

Edwards is highly regarded at White Hart Lane and is expected to make his first senior start on Wednesday night as Spurs host Gillingham in the EFL Cup third round.

Ahead of the game, Pochettino has spoken about the potential of the 17-year-old, and the Argentine did not stop short of likening the winger to Barcelona maestro Messi.

The 44-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "The qualities - it's only looks, his body and the way that he plays - remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.

"He's small, he's left-footed, I remember a little bit [Erik] Lamela when he was at River Plate, remember he had long hair, when he was 14, 15 years old, there is a lot of videos on YouTube that you can see, that he took the ball, didn't give a pass and shot straight away.

"[Edwards] 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. And it's our responsibility to tell him."

While Edwards will be making his first competitive appearance for Spurs this evening, he did feature in their pre-season friendly fixtures with the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus.