Among the older players we're likely to cover on TYB, Harry Winks has won both the faith of his manager and plaudits from fans at White Hart Lane this season.
Mauricio Pochettino has transformed the culture and mentality at Tottenham since he arrived in North London, turning his team into title-challengers in the process. It wasn't always this way. His predecessor had been brassy youth coach Tim Sherwood, who had his Spurs side playing like drunken martial artists—you could never be sure if they were going to score three or concede five.
Spurs fans could be forgiven for wanting to forget one of the latter occasions—a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool. The gulf in class between the two teams was a sign of Sherwood's inability to impose a working game-plan on his side. There was little for fans to take comfort in—a pitiful team performance and bizarre behaviour from the manager combined to make for a day to forget. It will go down in history, however, as the first time young Harry Winks made the matchday squad for Tottenham. Although he was an unused substitute on that occasion, it was a sign of things to come.
Back in 2014, Winks still looked too lightweight for Premier League football—able to fire crisp passes around midfield but never likely to make a serious impact. Another Tom Carroll, too small and too meek to impose his will on a match. Under Mauricio Pochettino's guidance, this is a distant memory. Such is Winks' improvement he has rapidly become an important part of the squad, making 34 appearances for Spurs this season. 19 of those have come in the league, often as a substitute for Moussa Dembele, whose injury history makes him a player to be managed carefully.
It isn't only in easier games that Winks is trusted to make the difference—he has played against Chelsea twice this season, as well as Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. Part of his dizzying ascent has been a determination to reward the faith shown in him and a willingness to learn. Winks' strengths lie in his driving runs forward and his quickness of foot. He can make key passes under heavy pressure, making him a valuable asset in the heart of midfield. Winks appears to have bought into the camaraderie binding this Spurs squad together.
Unfortunately, Winks has seen his season cut short at a bad time for the club. Having started the match against Burnley, the midfielder landed awkwardly as he chased a ball into the technical area. Later scans showed ankle ligament damage that has ruled him out for months. Considering the other injury problems at Spurs in the run in, it couldn't have come at a worse time. The fans let him know what they thought, though—as he was taken down the tunnel on a stretcher, fans were singing "He's one of our own". It won't be the last we've seen of Harry Winks.
Photo by Joschkajaeger
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