OPINION
Tottenham player Harry Winks is clearly a very talented prospect but he hasn’t kicked on for one reason or another in recent times.
The 22-year-old effectively treads water at the club as he doesn’t seem to have worked out how best to utilise his talents and this is a problem that also plagues his manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Winks has sublime passing ability but doesn’t come across as a playmaker who will carve out chance after chance nor does he appear to fit the usual mould of a defensive midfielder.
While some may argue that a player doesn’t have to fit into a desired traditional role, it’s clear that Winks needs some direction for his career in order for his full potential to be realised.
Winks, maybe due to his injury problem, has only shown glimpses of what he can offer and it’s time Pochettino was able to truly unleash him and find the role that got the best out him.
Luckily for Pochettino Danny Higginbotham, who is regularly seen on Sky Sports Daily, has commented on Wink’s ability in his latest column for The Sun and inadvertently laid out the blueprint to get the best out of him.
“And with Mason Mount, Ross Barkley, Harry Winks and James Maddison now in the England fold, we have found the missing piece of the puzzle,” wrote the Sky pundit for the newspaper.
“What England desperately needs is the player who, once in possession, can get on the ball put England on the front foot.
“The one who can receive the ball, turn and afford that extra couple of seconds to get up in support of Kane on the counter.
“While we haven’t had that player for a long time, all four mentioned now provide that option for Gareth Southgate.
“None play as a traditional No 10 for their clubs – but then again there is little room for that player today because teams so regularly shut down the room between defence and midfield.
“But what all four do really well is drift into that space from different starting positions.”
Given that Higginbotham’s references how Spurs attacker Harry Kane would benefit from a midfielder who could hold on to possession and aid in attack than Pochettino should encourage Winks to do just that for his domestic side.
The 22-year-old already has the skills to shield the ball and ensure possession stays with his side, but he isn’t exactly encourage to get forward.
Winks has only scored one goal, while contributing two, for Spurs in his 70 appearances for the club but he clearly has the skill-set to do more and improve on that area of his game.
Therefore Pochettino must encourage him to be more of an attacking presence for his side like the one the Sky pundit describe as it will see him truly unleashed at Spurs as well as see him make progress in his development and stop him treading water.