Tottenham youngster Harry Winks believes the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino gave him his first chance at becoming a success at the club.
The 21-year-old midfielder has regularly trained with the first-team setup at the Premier League club for a number of years, but did not make his breakthrough in the league or in Europe until last term.
He became a vital asset under Pochettino during the 2016-17 campaign, where he made 33 appearances in all competitions before his season was cut short through injury.
The academy sensation earned regular first-team opportunities until the start of April, where he was stretchered off with an ankle injury during a 2-0 win over Burnley.
Winks has yet to make another appearance for the club due to his injury status, but is likely to pick up where he left off by playing another key role in the side next season.
But he admits that he might not have been presented with such an opportunity had manager Pochettino not arrived at the club in 2014.
In a video shared on the club’s official Twitter account on Friday, he said: “The first time that I really had an idea that I might get a chance to play here was probably when the manager signed.
“Straight away he integrated a few of the young players and gave them opportunities in training, and I felt like maybe there was an opportunity.”
From local lad to home hero. ? @HarryWinks on a breakthrough season and making his footballing dreams a reality… #OneOfOurOwn pic.twitter.com/1S9Gzf0wui
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 9, 2017
Pochettino has shown great faith in his young players since arriving at the club from Southampton several years ago, with Winks among several young faces to have been handed opportunities to impress at senior level.
The likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Filip Lesniak and Joshua Onomah were also handed roles in the first-team squad last term, although Winks was evidently the pick of the bunch.
While many of his academy team-mates were restricted to cameo roles off the bench, or intermittent starts, Winks was a firm fixture in Pochettino’s plans throughout the entire campaign.
The England Under 21 international was rewarded for his meteoric rise with a fresh five-year contract back in February, and he will now have an important part to play up until the summer of 2022 at the earliest.