There was a time when Harry Winks seemed to have the footballing world at his feet. Admired by Mauricio Pochettino, who once described him as “the perfect midfielder”, Winks quickly established himself as a key player at Tottenham and was soon part of the England setup.
In 2017, he put in a man of the match performance in a Champions League game against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. At the end of the following season, he appeared in a Champions League final against Liverpool. Spurs lost the game, but Winks’ career still seemed on an upward trajectory. In July 2019, he signed a new five-year deal to keep him at the club. But things went downhill from there.
Where is He Now?
Last summer, Winks joined Leicester City after the club were relegated from the Premier League. Having won the title in 2016 and been a force to be reckoned with in recent years, most Championship odds immediately showed Leicester as favourites to bounce straight back.
Moving to the Midlands gave Harry Winks a chance to kickstart a career that has gone off the rails due to a combination of injury, poor form and a revolving door of managers at Spurs.
From the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the King Power via Italy
After the highs of the Champions League final, Spurs struggled to put together any sort of form the following season. Winks was at the heart of the midfield in an embarrassing 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich at home in the group stages of the competition.
Pochettino was eventually sacked after a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United, with Jose Mourinho taking over. The Portuguese didn’t seem to hold Winks in the same esteem as his predecessor. The same could be said of Nuno Espirito Santo and, particularly, Antonio Conte.
Winks became a fringe player at the club following the departure of his Argentine mentor and was loaned out to Sampdoria for the 2022/23 season. Despite another injury setback soon after securing his loan, once he was fit to play, Winks was praised for his performances in Serie A.
The Genoese club struggled throughout the season and were eventually relegated. At the end of the season, he was keen to find a new club where he could become a key player. Leicester was the perfect place. So far, Winks has been a standout player for Leicester, who started the season well and still harbours ambitions of winning the Championship.
Style of Play
Comfortable on the ball, Winks reads the game well and has a good range of passing that is essential at all levels in the modern game. He doesn’t mind getting stuck in and has the right attitude and temperament to thrive in what is widely acknowledged as one of the toughest divisions to get promoted from.
These were the traits that got him into the England squad. At 27, he’ll hope to force his way back into the international reckoning with promotion followed by string performances in the Premier League. If he can add more goals to his game, he really will be the perfect midfielder.
