It was nearly four years ago that Harry Winks delivered his most assured and influential performance for Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder’s passing was crisp and precise, he outshone Luka Modric and Toni Kroos and disrupted Real Madrid’s supply line in a 3-1 win in the Champions League.
Winks was 21 and months later Mauricio Pochettino likened him to Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, who pulled the strings for Barcelona. His former manager’s caveat to that striking comparison has been forgotten. “He needs to take my words in a very positive way but he needs a lot of work,” Pochettino said. “The reality is he still needs to prove [himself].”
Put another way, only relentless dedication would enable Winks to be bracketed with the best. Regardless of