In the past 8 months, Tottenham Hotspur have lost the Premier League title to a relegation favorite, finished third in a two-horse race, seen many of their players put in embarrassing performances in the Euros, undergo an awful transfer window, and then crash out of the Champions League at the hands of AS Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen. If there’s any sliver of dignity left from that disparaging time frame, it’s that Tottenham are still just a point off the top 4, and Harry Winks. Having impressed in preseason friendlies, Mauricio Pochettino started giving the tidy midfielder minutes when Eric Dier was forced to deputize in defense following Toby Aldereweireld’s slew of injuries. In the Belgian’s absence, Harry Winks has proven he can be the controller of the team, as he is a man for the big occasions. He came on vs. Hull City and CSKA Moscow(completing 108 of 113 passes) and totally ran the show. With his simple sense of rhythm, solid decision making and good ball retention skills, he can become the mediocentro England have been looking for. Along with Marcus Edwards and Cameron Carter-Vickers, he’s the latest commodity off Tottenham’s production line, and despite the measly amount of games he has played, he looks to be an effective controller. Adept at switching the play and varying the build-up with short and long passes to the wings, Harry Winks boasts the technical ability and turning radius you may find in an Argentine or French youth tournament. It may be uncharacteristic of his country’s prototypical midfielder, but if there’s one thing Harry Winks can bring to England’s national team, it’s breaking the lines.
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