West Ham United may well have been left ruing their inability to sign promising Englishman, Marcus Edwards, with the former Tottenham Hotspur youth product currently thriving at Sporting CP.

The 23-year-old had risen through the academy set-up at Spurs although failed to truly break into the first team set-up, eventually making just a solitary senior appearance for the club before securing a permanent departure to Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2019, after previous loan stints at Norwich City and Excelsior.

His impressive form for the Portuguese outfit seemingly sparked the attention of those at the London Stadium, with manager David Moyes believed to have been keen to sign the fleet-footed winger on an £18m deal in January 2021.

As it proved, the former England U20 international snubbed that interest by swiftly signing a new deal until 2024, with the contract believed to have included a buyout clause of around €50m (£45m).

After netting 20 goals and providing 14 assists in 96 games at his now former club, the Enfield-born starlet was subsequently snapped up by his current side for a reported fee of just €7.5m (£6.5m) a year later, where he has since gone on to flourish for the Lisbon outfit.

Since his arrival in the winter window, the 5 foot 6 sensation has scored six goals and provided six assists in just 23 games across all competitions, with that tally including a haul of six goal contributions in just eight games so far this term.

That electric talent has been most evident in the Champions League in recent weeks, with the playmaker having been "lighting up" the competition thus far - in the words of Zach Lowy - notably registering a goal and an assist against Eintracht Frankfurt last week.

That display saw the highly-rated prospect record a mightily impressive match rating of 8.2 - as per SofaScore - with the figure by far the highest of any player for either side, showcasing the forward's undoubted quality and confidence in what was his first start in the competition.

The diminutive gem has since followed up that stunning performance with another noteworthy display against former employers Tottenham on Tuesday evening, helping his new club secure a 2-0 victory over Antonio Conte's side.

While not involved in either goal, Edwards caught the eye with his all-round display in that shock victory, almost pulling off what would have been a remarkable solo goal after weaving his way past a sea of Spurs defenders, only to see his effort denied by Hugo Lloris.

Such a moment of magic showcased just why he had earned comparisons to fellow left-footer Lionel Messi from Mauricio Pochettino during his time in north London, with that glowing assessment a marker of his huge potential.

With interest set to rise in the player's signature in the near future should such performances be replicated, Moyes and co may well be left to reflect on what might have been had they managed to secure a deal just over 18 months ago.