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Marcus Edwards

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Marcus Edwards
Image
Edwards in 2025
Personal information
Full name Marcus Edwards[1]
Date of birth (1998-12-03) 3 December 1998 (age 27)[2]
Place of birth Enfield, England
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3]
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Burnley
Number 10
Youth career
2006–2015 Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2019 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (0)
2017–2018 → Norwich City (loan) 1 (0)
2018–2019 → Excelsior (loan) 25 (2)
2019–2022 Vitória de Guimarães 77 (17)
2022–2025 Sporting CP 77 (15)
2025 → Burnley (loan) 14 (1)
2025– Burnley 30 (2)
International career‡
2013–2014 England U16 6 (1)
2014–2015 England U17 21 (5)
2015–2016 England U18 7 (4)
2016–2017 England U19 7 (2)
2017–2018 England U20 8 (2)
2026– Cyprus 4 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:59, 18 October 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:53, 5 October 2026 (UTC)

Marcus Edwards (born 3 December 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for EFL Championship club Burnley. Born in England, he represents the Cyprus national team.

Edwards began his senior career at Tottenham Hotspur, where he made one substitute appearance in the EFL Cup. He moved to Vitória de Guimarães in 2019 and was transferred to Sporting in January 2022 for an initial €7.67 million. He has played over 100 Primeira Liga matches and holds the record for most goals by an English player in the competition.

Edwards earned 49 caps for England from under-16 to under-20 level, scoring 15 goals. He was part of the under-19 team that won the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He switched international allegiance to Cyprus in September 2026 and scored on his senior international debut later that month.

Early life

[edit]

Edwards was born on 3 December 1998 in Enfield, England, to an English father and a Greek Cypriot mother.[2][4] Through his father, he is of Jamaican and French descent. He was eligible to represent England, France and Jamaica through his father, and Cyprus through his mother.[4]

Edwards has said that he visited Cyprus every summer while growing up and that much of his maternal family is from near Nicosia.[4] He joined the academy system at Tottenham Hotspur at the age of eight, progressing through the ranks and initially playing as a centre forward.[5][6]

Club career

[edit]

Tottenham Hotspur

[edit]

On 2 August 2016, Edwards signed his first professional contract with Tottenham after a protracted period of negotiations amid interest from other clubs.[7][8]

Edwards joined Tottenham's first team for their pre-season tour in the summer of 2016.[9] He was assigned squad number 48 ahead of the 2016–17 season.[10] On 20 September 2016, manager Mauricio Pochettino likened Edwards to a young Lionel Messi because of his low centre of gravity and ability to beat opponents.[11]

The following day, Edwards made his competitive first-team debut in an EFL Cup third-round match at home to Gillingham. He replaced Vincent Janssen for the final 15 minutes and had a shot saved by Stuart Nelson as Tottenham won 5–0.[12] He suffered an ankle injury in October that required surgery and kept him out for an extended period.[13][14]

On 29 July 2017, Edwards signed a new contract with Tottenham running until 2020.[15] In the 2017–18 UEFA Youth League, he scored twice in a 4–0 win over Borussia Dortmund on 13 September.[16] He made five appearances in the group stage and scored four goals.[17]

Loan spells

[edit]

In January 2018, Edwards joined Championship club Norwich City on loan for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.[18] He made his Norwich debut on 30 March, coming on as a late substitute for Mario Vrančić in a 2–0 home defeat to Fulham.[19] It was his only appearance for the club, and he returned to Tottenham on 10 April for "personal reasons".[20]

In August 2018, Edwards joined Dutch club Excelsior on a season-long loan.[21] On 25 September, he was sent off in a 3–2 extra-time home defeat to NEC in the first round of the KNVB Cup, receiving two bookings within six minutes late in the match.[22]

Edwards scored two goals and provided four assists in 25 league appearances.[23] He also scored in the relegation play-offs, but Excelsior were relegated.[24] He finished the Eredivisie season with 3.3 successful dribbles per game, the highest figure in the league and ahead of Steven Bergwijn on 3.2.[25]

Vitória de Guimarães

[edit]

On 2 September 2019, Portuguese Primeira Liga club Vitória de Guimarães signed Edwards on a four-year contract, acquiring 50% of his economic rights and setting a €15 million release clause.[26] He scored his first goal for the club on 24 October in the UEFA Europa League group stage, opening the scoring in a 3–2 defeat away to Arsenal.[27]

With seven goals and five assists during the 2019–20 Primeira Liga season, Edwards was one of ten candidates for the league's player of the year award.[28] On 8 February 2020, he and João Carlos Teixeira each scored twice in a 7–0 away win over local rivals Famalicão.[29]

Edwards scored the only goal in an away win over Boavista on 19 October 2020, his eighth goal in Portugal's top division. The goal took him past Brian Deane, who played for Benfica in 1998, as the highest-scoring English player in Primeira Liga history.[30]

On 7 January 2021, Edwards extended his contract until 2024, with a release clause of €50 million.[31] On 10 January 2022, he came on as a substitute away to Gil Vicente, won and converted a penalty in the 87th minute and was later sent off for a second booking as Vitória lost 3–2.[32]

Sporting CP

[edit]

Edwards transferred to reigning Primeira Liga champions Sporting CP on 31 January 2022 for €7.67 million, with a further €500,000 dependent on objectives. Sporting acquired Vitória's 50% share of his economic rights, while Bruno Gaspar moved in the opposite direction permanently and Geny Catamo joined Vitória on loan.[33]

He made his Sporting debut two days later in a 4–1 away win over B-SAD, replacing Pablo Sarabia for the final 19 minutes.[34] His first goal for the club came on 19 March against former club Vitória de Guimarães, when he scored from long range in the eighth minute of stoppage time to complete a 3–1 away win.[35]

On 7 September 2022, Edwards scored his first UEFA Champions League goal and provided an assist in a 3–0 away win over Eintracht Frankfurt.[36] On 26 October, he scored in a 1–1 away draw against his former club Tottenham Hotspur.[37]

During Sporting's run to the 2022–23 Taça da Liga final, Edwards scored in a 6–0 group-stage win over Farense[38] and in a 5–0 quarter-final victory against Braga.[39] He started the final on 28 January 2023, a 2–0 defeat to Porto, and had a goal ruled out for offside.[40]

In January 2023, Sporting acquired a further 15% of Edwards's economic rights from Tottenham as part of the deal that saw Pedro Porro move to Tottenham, initially on loan and later permanently.[41]

Burnley

[edit]

On 3 February 2025, Edwards returned to England, joining Championship club Burnley on loan until the end of the season.[42] Five days later, he scored on his debut, netting the only goal in a win over Southampton in the fourth round of the 2024–25 FA Cup.[43] On 20 May, Burnley announced that Edwards would join the club permanently.[44]

International career

[edit]

Youth

[edit]

Edwards made his England U16 debut in November 2013, playing 80 minutes in a 1–0 defeat to Northern Ireland.[45] He made six appearances and scored once at under-16 level.

For the England under-17 team, Edwards scored three times during 2014, including twice on his debut in a 5–1 win over Iceland.[46] He was selected for the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[47] Edwards made five appearances at the tournament and scored against Italy and the Republic of Ireland.[48] He was named in the team of the tournament.[49] He also represented England at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[50]

In September 2015, Edwards was called up to the England U18 squad and made his debut in a 2–0 win over the Netherlands, setting up one of the goals.[51] In March 2016, he scored twice against both Austria and the Republic of Ireland.[52] He made seven appearances and scored four goals for England U18.

Edwards was called up to the England under-19 team in October 2016. He made his debut in a 3–1 win over Croatia and scored in a subsequent 2–1 win over Bulgaria.[53] He was selected for the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[54] In the semi-final, he came off the bench and assisted Lukas Nmecha for the only goal against the Czech Republic.[55] He was also a second-half substitute in England's victory over Portugal in the final.[56]

After the tournament, Edwards was called up to the England U20 squad in August 2017 and scored on his debut in a 3–0 win over the Netherlands.[57]

Senior

[edit]

In 2026, Edwards announced his intention to represent Cyprus at senior international level. He received his Cypriot passport in September and was called up to the national team.[58]

On 25 September 2026, Edwards made his senior international debut and scored in a 2–1 away defeat to Montenegro in the UEFA Nations League.[59][60] On 5 October, he scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give Cyprus a 2–1 home win over Latvia.[61]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 16 October 2026[62]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tottenham Hotspur 2016–17[63] Premier League 00001000—10
Tottenham Hotspur U21 2017–18[64] — — — — 1[c]010
Norwich City (loan) 2017–18[64] Championship 10————10
Excelsior (loan) 2018–19[65] Eredivisie 25210——2[d]0282
Vitória de Guimarães 2019–20[65] Primeira Liga 26700405[e]2—359
2020–21[65] Primeira Liga 3332010——363
2021–22[65] Primeira Liga 1872140——248
Total 7717419052—9520
Sporting CP 2021–22[65] Primeira Liga 12320—1[f]0—153
2022–23[65] Primeira Liga 337105212[g]3—5112
2023–24[65] Primeira Liga 264513010[e]1—446
2024–25[65] Primeira Liga 6112101[f]01[h]0103
Total 771593922441012024
Burnley (loan) 2024–25[65] Championship 14121———162
Burnley 2025–26[65] Premier League 2311020——261
2026–27[65] Championship 710020——91
Total 4433140——514
Career total 224371752322964029750
  1. ↑ Includes KNVB Cup, Taça de Portugal and FA Cup.
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup and Taça da Liga.
  3. ↑ Appearance in EFL Trophy.
  4. ↑ Appearances in Eredivisie relegation play-offs.
  5. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League.
  6. 1 2 Appearance in UEFA Champions League.
  7. ↑ Six appearances and two goals in the UEFA Champions League, and six appearances and one goal in the UEFA Europa League.
  8. ↑ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

International

[edit]
As of match played 5 October 2026[66]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Cyprus 202642
Total42
Scores and results list Cyprus' goal tally first; the score column indicates the score after each Edwards goal.
List of international goals scored by Marcus Edwards
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 September 2026 Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro Image Montenegro 1–0 1–2 2026–27 UEFA Nations League C
2 5 October 2026 GSP Stadium, Strovolos, Cyprus Image Latvia 2–1 2–1 2026–27 UEFA Nations League C

Honours

[edit]

Sporting CP

England U19

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Squads for 2016/17 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Marcus Edwards". Tottenham Hotspur official site. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Marcus Edwards: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Stonehouse, Gary (29 October 2014). "I was scared to celebrate – my auntie would've shouted". The Football Association. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "In Profile: Marcus Edwards". Norwich City F.C. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Marcus Edwards is the best youth prospect at Tottenham Hotspur". Cartilage Free Captain. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  7. ↑ Hytner, David (2 August 2016). "Marcus Edwards, 17, signs first professional contract at Tottenham". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Hytner, David (1 March 2016). "Tottenham teenage prospect Marcus Edwards in stand-off with club". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Hytner, David (20 September 2016). "Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham's Marcus Edwards reminds him of Messi". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  10. ↑ "2016–17 Premier League squad numbers announced". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  11. ↑ Hytner, David (20 September 2016). "Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham's Marcus Edwards reminds him of Messi". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 Gillingham". BBC Sport. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Verrall, John (24 January 2017). "Photo: Marcus Edwards appears to have returned to Tottenham Hotspur training". HITC. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  14. ↑ Menno, Dustin (18 September 2017). "Team news: Marcus Edwards will not feature for Tottenham vs. Barnsley". Cartilage Free Captain. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  15. ↑ "New contract for Edwards". Tottenham Hotspur official site. 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "Spurs 4–0 Borussia Dortmund (U19 UYL) – report from Hotspur Way". Tottenham Hotspur. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Mauricio Pochettino confirms youngsters to be involved in Champions League vs. APOEL". Cartilage Free Captain. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  18. ↑ Hytner, David (15 January 2018). "Tottenham's Marcus Edwards joins Norwich City on loan for rest of season". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  19. ↑ "Norwich City 0–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Tottenham wonderkid Marcus Edwards has attitude and mentality questioned as Norwich loan cut short". The Daily Telegraph. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Hytner, David (30 August 2018). "Tottenham's Marcus Edwards joins Excelsior on loan in push to ignite career". The Guardian.
  22. ↑ "Excelsior uit de beker na wederom voorsprong van twee goals" [Excelsior out of the cup after another two-goal lead] (in Dutch). Rijnmond. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  23. ↑ Coombs, Dan (23 May 2019). "Tottenham youngster Marcus Edwards has best season of his career, but is it enough?". HITC.
  24. ↑ Gold, Alasdair (20 May 2019). "Marcus Edwards' massive match – Spurs' 9 loan stars rated and if they have a future at the club". football.london.
  25. ↑ Pitt-Brooke, Jack (14 June 2019). "Meet the real Marcus Edwards: Tottenham starlet lifts lid on tough loan spells and Lionel Messi comparisons". The Independent.
  26. ↑ "Extremo inglês Marcus Edwards reforça Vitória" [English winger Marcus Edwards bolsters Vitória] (in Portuguese). Guimarães Digital. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Benson, Michael (25 October 2019). "Former Tottenham 'mini-Messi' Marcus Edwards knee slides in front of Arsenal fans to celebrate Europa League goal". Talksport. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  28. ↑ "Marcus Edwards candidato a melhor do ano da Liga" [Marcus Edwards candidate for Liga best player of the year]. Guimarães Digital (in Portuguese). 26 August 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  29. ↑ Ribeiro, Patrick (9 February 2020). "Vitória stun Famalicão in race for European spots; Sporting land back in third". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  30. ↑ "Golaço frente ao Boavista torna Marcus Edwards no melhor marcador inglês da I Liga" [Wondergoal against Boavista makes Marcus Edwards the highest scoring Englishman in the I Liga] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Oficial: Edwards renova pelo V. Guimarães e fica blindado por cláusula milionária" [Official: Edwards renews for V. Guimarães and is tied down by multi-million clause]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 7 January 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  32. ↑ "Gil Vicente vence Vitória de Guimarães, em jogo emocionante até ao fim" (in Portuguese). PressNET. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  33. ↑ "Sporting paga 7,67 milhões de euros por Edwards e cede Bruno Gaspar e Catamo ao V. Guimarães" [Sporting pay 7.67 million euros for Edwards and cede Bruno Gaspar and Catamo to V. Guimarães] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  34. ↑ "Sporting vence Belenenses SAD e mantém-se a seis pontos da liderança da I Liga" [Sporting defeat Belenenses SAD and stay with six-point lead in I Liga]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 2 February 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  35. ↑ "Sporting dá a volta e ganha em Guimarães. Edwards estreia-se a marcar frente à ex-equipa" [Sporting come from behind and win in Guimarães. Edwards scores first goal against former team]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 19 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  36. ↑ "Eintracht Frankfurt 0–3 Sporting Lisbon". BBC Sport. 7 September 2022.
  37. ↑ "Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Sporting Lisbon". BBC Sport. 26 October 2022.
  38. ↑ "Sporting goleia o Farense no arranque na Taça da Liga" [Sporting thrash Farense in Taça da Liga opener]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 30 November 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  39. ↑ "Sporting goleia Sp. Braga e está nas meias-finais da Taça da Liga" [Sporting thrash Sp. Braga and are in the Taça da Liga semi-finals]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  40. ↑ Almeida, Isaura (28 January 2023). "Taça da Liga encontrou caminho do Dragão ao fim de 16 anos e 5 finais" [Taça da Liga found its way to the Dragão after 16 years and 5 finals]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  41. ↑ Fernandes, Bruno; Granada, Ricardo (19 February 2023). "80 milhões para Edwards: objetivo passa por aumentar cláusula" [80 million for Edwards: objective changes to increasing clause]. Record. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  42. ↑ "Marcus Edwards: Burnley sign Sporting CP forward on loan". BBC Sport. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  43. ↑ "From Messi comparisons to FA Cup hero – Edwards aims for the top". BBC Sport. 8 February 2025.
  44. ↑ "Burnley release Nathan Redmond and Jonjo Shelvey after promotion to Premier League". BBC Sport. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  45. ↑ "England under-16s fall to shock defeat in Victory Shield". Bournemouth Echo. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  46. ↑ "Five-star England cruise to victory in Nordics opener". The FA Official Website. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
    "Lukas Nmecha helps U17s to battling win over Macedonia". The FA Official Website. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  47. ↑ Stonehouse, Gary (22 April 2015). "John Peacock names his England Under-17s Group". The Football Association. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  48. ↑ "Super sub Edwards secures winning start for England". The FA Official Website. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
    "Young Lions seal semi spot and U17 World Cup qualification". The FA Official Website. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  49. 1 2 "2015 Under-17 – Technical report – The UEFA technical team". UEFA. 22 May 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  50. ↑ Stonehouse, Gary (3 October 2015). "FIFA Under-17s World Cup squad announced by Neil Dewsnip". The Football Association. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  51. ↑ "Neil Dewsnip names his Young Lions for Dutch double". The FA Official Website. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
    "Ben Sheaf and Kazaiah Sterling help England see off Holland". The FA Official Website. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  52. ↑ "Marcus Edwards bags brace as England U18s win in Austria". The FA Official Website. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
    "England U18 4–1 Republic of Ireland U18: Doolin's tenure ends in defeat". Goal.com. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  53. ↑ "England Under-19s squad named for Croatia and Bulgaria games". The FA Official Website. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  54. ↑ "Young Lions squad for U19 Euro". The Football Association. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  55. ↑ "England beat Czech Republic to reach final". BBC Sport. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  56. 1 2 "European Under-19 Championship: England beat Portugal in final". BBC Sport. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  57. ↑ "European champions step up as England Under-20 squad named". The FA Official Website. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
    "Young Lions kick-off new campaign with clinical victory against the Dutch in Telford". The FA Official Website. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  58. ↑ "Marcus Edwards to play for Cyprus national team". Cyprus Mail. 13 September 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  59. ↑ Scrafton, Matt (26 September 2026). "Burnley man scores on international debut as teammate also finds the back of the net". Burnley Express. Retrieved 29 September 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  60. ↑ "Montenegro 2-1 Cyprus (25 Sep, 2026) Final Score - ESPN (UK)". ESPN. 25 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  61. ↑ "Cyprus v Latvia Live Score". Sporting Life. 5 October 2026. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  62. ↑ Marcus Edwards at Soccerway
  63. ↑ "Games played by Marcus Edwards in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  64. 1 2 "Games played by Marcus Edwards in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  65. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Marcus Edwards at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  66. ↑ "Edwards, Marcus". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
[edit]
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