Matt Le Tissier has delivered the surprise verdict that Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks “flatters to deceive” despite the fact he has broken into the team this season.
The 21-year-old has become a mainstay in the Spurs starting XI this campaign and is now an important member of the squad.
He has been given a run in the side by manager Mauricio Pochettino and is the latest to break into the first team from the club’s impressive academy.
Winks’ performances as a ball-playing central midfielder have certainly caught the eye and England manager Gareth Southgate has even given him his senior international debut as a result.
However, Sky Sports pundit Le Tissier is not so convinced by the emerging youngster and feels that Mousa Dembele makes a far greater impact in the centre of the Spurs midfield.
Le Tissier has backed Spurs to finish inside the top four of the Premier League this season, but is not so certain they can achieve that with Winks in their team on a regular basis.
“I’m not convinced by Eric Dier and Harry Winks as a central-midfield pairing and I’d change my mind about them being in the top four if you played those two for the rest of the season,” he told Sky Sports.
“Winks has a lot to learn and flatters to deceive in my opinion in terms of his impact on a game compared to Mousa Dembele.”
OPINION
Winks is growing in stature every week in the Spurs team and Le Tissier’s criticism seems a tad harsh for someone that is still maturing. The midfielder has clearly done enough to impress Pochettino and continues to look right at home every time he plays. He offers something different in the Spurs XI with his excellent vision and range of passing, while of course the likes of Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama are more powerhouses. Winks’ displays for Spurs have seen some people even tip him for a starting berth next summer for England in the World Cup and that shows the measure of how well he is doing.