Mauricio Pochettino has established a glowing reputation for his commendable youth policy during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier all thriving under his tutelage.
In the modern era Pochettino’s attitude towards the promotion of youth is something of a novelty. Whether his policy is borne out of pragmatism due to Daniel Levy’s tight-fisted approach to the transfer market or a genuine belief in utilising the academy resources is up for debate, but there is no questioning the success he has enjoyed by trusting in youth.
Alli and Kane are two of the most established and highly regarded England players in Gareth Southgate’s squad, but Harry Winks still has plenty to live up to.
An outstanding performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last season showcased an exuberance and a bravery which is seldom seen in central midfielders with limited experience.
It was a showing which installed huge excitement into the Tottenham supporters, but subsequent injury problems saw him fall under the radar until the current season.
Back in Pochettino’s starting eleven and earning regular call-ups to the England squad, the future is looking bright for an academy product who the supporters are simply desperate to see blossom into a brilliant box-to-box midfielder in the coming years.
Winks was selected in the starting eleven to face USA on Thursday evening and he impressed with his diligent and tidy approach in midfield, earning a special mention from BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty in the process.
McNulty described Winks as ‘another standout’ among a growing group of talented England youngsters, who hint that winds of change are blowing for a national side who have suffered from crippling underachievement for the best part of fifteen years.
That Winks can boast a pass success rate of almost 90% is a testament to the quality of his distribution. The next step for the 22-year-old is to find a formula which allows him to maintain a decent percentage while adding assists and goals to his game.
As a box-to-box midfielder it is vital that Winks finds a way of contributing to Tottenham’s and England’s endeavours in the final-third with consistency and conviction, otherwise he runs the risk of falling into mediocrity.
Under a manager of Pochettino’s expertise and proven track record he is perfectly placed to realise the full extent of his potential, and the eye-catching confidence and growing stature he has showcased in recent weeks suggests that he is beginning to develop into a top player at both club and international level.
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