Sporting coach tips midfielder Edwards for England call-up

Sporting head coach Ruben Amorim tipped midfielder Marcus Edwards for an England call-up after the 23-year-old produced an impressive performance in their 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Tuesday.

While Paulinho and Arthur Gomes scored late goals to grab a victory for Sporting, Edwards starred in the 'false nine' role and almost found the net before halftime with a brilliant solo effort.

His performance prompted comparisons with Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi but Amorim was keen to downplay that kind of hype.

"We cannot make comparisons, that would not be fair for Marcus, but he does have these characteristics," Amorim told reporters of Edwards, who started out as a trainee at Spurs.

"He's very strong between the lines. He was very confident for this game. He knew personally some of Tottenham's players. So this is his development.

"He has the characteristics, he has the talent, and ... he can make it into the England national team."