He was born in Enfield and left Tottenham without making a Premier League appearance, but Marcus Edwards put his name up in lights on the Champions League stage for Sporting Lisbon.
The 23-year-old English winger set the Portuguese club on their way to victory in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt – last season’s Europa League winners – with his first goal in the competition.
Edwards then made the second goal for former Wolves loan signing Trincao in a man-of-the-match performance.
Sporting ran out 3-0 winners and play Edwards’ former club Tottenham in Group D in Lisbon next Tuesday (17:45 BST).
As a teenager in 2016, Edwards was compared to Lionel Messi.
“His qualities… it’s only looks – his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi,” said then Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite the comparison, Edwards struggled to make a breakthrough at Spurs.
He made a substitute appearance in a League Cup tie against Gillingham in 2016, but was loaned to Norwich in the Championship in January 2018 for what was supposed to be until the end of the season.
However, he made just one appearance for the Canaries before returning to Spurs for personal reasons.
Edwards moved to Portugal in 2019 to join Vitoria Guimaraes and was signed by Sporting in January where he has established himself as a popular figure with fans.
Line-ups
Frankfurt
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Trapp
- 6JakicBooked at 55minsSubstituted forKnauffat 84′minutes
- 35Silva Melo
- 2NdickaBooked at 38mins
- 25LenzSubstituted forPellegriniat 45′minutes
- 26EbimbeSubstituted forBorréat 66′minutes
- 8Sow
- 29LindstrømSubstituted forAlarioat 74′minutes
- 27Götze
- 15KamadaSubstituted forHasebeat 84′minutes
- 9Kolo Muani
Substitutes
- 4Onguéné
- 5Smolcic
- 11Alidou
- 19Borré
- 20Hasebe
- 21Alario
- 22Chandler
- 31Grahl
- 33Pellegrini
- 36Knauff
- 40Ramaj
Sporting
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Adán
- 3St. JusteSubstituted forNovo Netoat 52′minutes
- 4Coates
- 25Inácio
- 24Porro
- 15Ugarte
- 5MoritaBooked at 6mins
- 2Reis de Lima
- 17Machado TrincãoSubstituted forDias Fernandesat 79′minutes
- 28Pereira GonçalvesSubstituted forGomes dos Santosat 79′minutes
- 10EdwardsSubstituted forCosta Rochaat 73′minutes
Substitutes
- 6Alexandropoulos
- 11Gomes dos Santos
- 12Israel
- 13Novo Neto
- 16Costa Rocha
- 18Fatawu
- 20Dias Fernandes
- 22Eusébio Paulo
- 33Gomes Lourenço
- 47de Sousa Esgaio
- 63Martinez Marsà
- Referee:
- Orel Grinfeeld
- Attendance:
- 50,500
Live Text
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Match ends, Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Sporting Lisbon 3.
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Second Half ends, Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Sporting Lisbon 3.
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Attempt missed. Luís Neto (Sporting Lisbon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Rochinha with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Sporting Lisbon. Conceded by Luca Pellegrini.
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Rochinha (Sporting Lisbon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Luca Pellegrini (Eintracht Frankfurt).
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Attempt missed. Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is high and wide to the left.
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Offside, Eintracht Frankfurt. Luca Pellegrini tries a through ball, but Lucas Alario is caught offside.
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Offside, Eintracht Frankfurt. Luca Pellegrini tries a through ball, but Rafael Borré is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Luca Pellegrini (Eintracht Frankfurt) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Djibril Sow.
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Substitution, Eintracht Frankfurt. Makoto Hasebe replaces Daichi Kamada.
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Substitution, Eintracht Frankfurt. Ansgar Knauff replaces Kristijan Jakic.
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Goal! Eintracht Frankfurt 0, Sporting Lisbon 3. Nuno Santos (Sporting Lisbon) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pedro Porro with a cross following a fast break.
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Attempt missed. Luca Pellegrini (Eintracht Frankfurt) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
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Foul by Manuel Ugarte (Sporting Lisbon).
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Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Sporting Lisbon. Paulinho replaces Trincão.
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Substitution, Sporting Lisbon. Nuno Santos replaces Pote.
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Attempt missed. Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Rafael Borré.
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Substitution, Eintracht Frankfurt. Lucas Alario replaces Jesper Lindstrøm.
