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Cape Town - Mauricio Pochettino says he sees similarities between Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards and a young Lionel Messi.
The talented left-footed 17-year-old is highly rated at Spurs for his sublime pace and skill set, and is set to feature for the club in the EFL Cup third round tie with Gillingham on Wednesday.
Edwards has already played for England at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level, having joined the Spurs' academy when just eight years old, and signed his first professional contract with the club in August.
Pochettino, who feels Edwards has plenty of potential, said: "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.
"He (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."
Pochettino also singled out American centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers, 18, for high praise.
"For me, he can be one of the best centre-backs in England in the future," Pochettino said. "He has a strong mentality, quality, all the qualities for playing centre-back."
