Marcus Edwards is apparently set for a lecture from Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino after his professionalism came under question during his loan spell at Norwich City.
The 19-year-old returned to his parent club this week for what both outfits cited as "personal reasons," but The Telegraph's Matt Law believes the attacking midfielder's issues in Norfolk mostly stem from his time-keeping and general poor attitude.
Pochettino has previously compared the youngster to Lionel Messi, but Spurs have now waived any remaining fees due to them from the loan deal after both parties agreed the stint was a waste of time. Edwards was reportedly late for every training session and also struggled to arrive on time for team meetings, although Tottenham does note that its player's introverted personality perhaps contributed to his failure to forge bonds within Norwich's squad.
Edwards joined the Canaries in mid-January, but only made one appearance as a substitute in a 2-0 home defeat to Fulham in late March.
"Sometimes I wonder whether it was wise to liken him (Edwards) to Messi," Pochettino admitted in his book "Brave New World," which was released last year. "He was only 17. At that age, Messi was making his debut for a Barcelona side featuring Ronaldinho."
He added: "He has authority and behavioural problems, and we have to look at the bigger picture to find out the root cause. There was a time when it would have been seen as impossible for him to play professionally, let alone make it in the Premier League."
With a top-four finish almost wrapped up, Edwards will hope to be involved in Tottenham's rather innocuous run-in in the Premier League season. The only silverware on the line for Spurs is in the FA Cup, as they take on Manchester United in a Wembley semi-final on April 21.
