Harry Winks made a big call to leave Tottenham Hotspur for Leicester City this summer after coming through the ranks.
A boyhood Tottenham fan, the 27-year-old was handed his Spurs debut by Mauricio Pochettino, and went on to compete at the top end of the Premier League and in the Champions League.
That included ten England caps, as well as an impressive win in Spain during the UEFA Nations League, but his last cap came in 2020.
You could argue that’s when Harry Winks’ career, both at Tottenham and for England, started to go backwards, with the midfielder claiming, after he scored a stoppage-time winner for Leicester at West Brom, that this is ‘the most I have enjoyed my football in my whole career’, as he told Sky Sports Football (02/12/23 at 3:15 pm).
He added how he now ‘feels wanted’ and ‘feels respected’, with his Spurs career ending with a forgettable loan spell at Sampdoria, who were relegated from Serie A last season.
That’s why you could probably understand that Harry Winks lost that spark in his game because, added to his loan spell in Italy, he only played five times for Spurs in the last two years.
Harry Winks turning his career around after Tottenham exit:
“Leicester is a huge club, anyway, the club speaks for itself,” said Winks. “Amazing fanbase and amazing club.
“It was a massive factor (to join Leicester). The club speaks for itself. I spoke to the manager and the way he wants to play. He is the exact type of football I want to play in. The last few years have been tough, not playing regularly. That’s all I wanted to do. Enjoy my football and play football regularly. Feel wanted. And feel respected.
“From the minute I have come into this club, I have loved every second of it. It’s probably the most I have enjoyed my football in my whole career really.”
Will Harry Winks help Leicester to promotion?
Many were left surprised when Leicester suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, mainly because of the quality within their squad.
But you make your bed and now they have to lie in theirs as they bid to earn promotion back with the elite, with Enzo Maresca in charge.
And to no one’s surprise, they are performing incredibly. Sitting top of the Championship on 46 points from 19 matches – Enzo Maresca labelled Winks as ‘perfect’.
The Foxes have only suffered three defeats and they are eight clear of third-placed Leeds United after that late 2-1 win over West Brom on Saturday.