Harry Winks: Leicester City midfielder still harbours hopes of England recall after renaissance at Foxes

[davieG]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68352498

 

By Andrew Aloia & Charlie Slater
BBC Sport
Last updated on1 hour ago1 hour ago.
From the sectionLeicester

Harry Winks has scored two goals for Leicester City this season - and both were match-winners, at QPR and West Bromwich Albion

 

Harry Winks says he has never given up on an England recall as he enjoys a career renaissance in the Championship with leaders Leicester City.

The ex-Tottenham midfielder, 28, won the last of his 10 caps in 2020 and spent last term on loan at Sampdoria as they were relegated from Serie A.

He then moved permanently to Leicester in England's second tier and has been almost ever present for the leaders.

"I've never lost confidence in myself," Winks told BBC East Midlands Today.

Asked if he still feels like he can play for England again in the future, the defensive midfielder said: "I'd like to think so. But the most important thing is you have to show it. It's not about what I think, it's about showing it.

"This year has been a good platform for me to go out and show what my strengths are, what I can bring to the team and to try get a run of games where I can play regularly and show it.

"Right now the most important thing for me is Leicester and getting the club into the Premier League, winning as many games as possible and, personally, playing well.

"That is all I'll think about now and until the end of the season. Then next season we can readdress that with different goals and different objectives."

 

'Last years at Spurs were tough'
Winks, talking before Friday's top-of-the-table showdown with Leeds United, has started almost twice as many matches for Leicester this season than he managed in his previous two campaigns in England with Tottenham.

He started for Spurs in their Champions League final defeat by Liverpool in 2019, and while he maintained his place for much of the following campaign, he eventually fell out of favour at his boyhood club.

Winks admits he found his later years at Tottenham difficult and that it was not until moving to Leicester and playing under Italian boss Enzo Maresca that he rediscovered his affection for the game.

"Maybe the last two or three years of my time at Spurs was tough, but before that it was amazing and I loved every minute," Winks said.

"I learned a lot from that as well, it definitely develops your character when you don't play as regularly and you don't feel as important.

"But again I wouldn't want to change it for anything, I've learned so much along the way in my career and it makes you enjoy the highs more when you've been through that.

"I probably did lose a little bit of love for it in the last couple of years when I wasn't playing and left out of squads and things like that.

"It's difficult to find that love for it, but once you make the brave decision to leave and go to Italy and try to find it there, which I did, and to come here... now it is probably the most I've ever enjoyed football in my career."

 

Winks on learning from Maresca
Harry Winks celebrates victiory over Sheffield Wednesday with head coach Enzo Maresca
Harry Winks celebrating Leicester's recent win against Sheffield Wednesday with boss Enzo Maresca
It is at the King Power Stadium and under Maresca - a Treble-winning assistant coach at Manchester City last season - that Winks says he has been taught to thrive again.

His influence in a side that has been setting a relentless pace at the summit of the Championship was summed up recently when his Italian boss interrupted an interview that the midfielder was giving BBC Radio Leicester to say "without this player, it would be impossible this season".

"It's all I ever wanted, really, in my career to be honest," said Winks, about the appreciation and faith Maresca has shown him.

For a Foxes side that aims to dominate possession and places an emphasis on patiently shifting the ball around to break teams down, Winks' passing stats - making more than 2,600 in the league with 90% accuracy - have helped define Leicester.

"I'm 28 this year, but I feel like I've learned so much this year - more than I ever have in my career," he said.

"And I continue to learn every day - when you look at football in a different way, the way the gaffer teaches it, I really find it fascinating and enjoyable."

[Finnegan]

Still gets me that Harry ****ing Winks is 28.

 

I feel old. 

[An Away Move]

23 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Still gets me that Harry ****ing Winks is 28.

 

I feel old. 

I’ve always thought of him as in my peer group age wise. Just did a reality check though and realised I’m old enough to be his dad! 
 

Edited 21 February 2024 by An Away Move

[fuchsntf]

45 minutes ago, An Away Move said:

I’ve always thought of him as in my peer group age wise. Just did a reality check though and realised I’m old enough to be his dad! 
 

Dadddddy

[Stadt]

He has a reasonable chance of playing for England again, Phillips and Henderson keep getting caps - latter is 34 in the summer and not to mention shit 

[Out Foxed]

2 minutes ago, Stadt said:

He has a reasonable chance of playing for England again, Phillips and Henderson keep getting caps - latter is 34 in the summer and not to mention shit 

he plays for Leicester, so i don't think he does.

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Barring injury, Rice and Bellingham will be England's midfield for the foreseeable future. Conor Gallagher is also improving. Phillips and Henderson will slowly fall out of the squad.

 

Winks' chances are slim but it's good to have ambition.

[Stadt]

28 minutes ago, Out Foxed said:

he plays for Leicester, so i don't think he does.

We’ve had plenty of players called up over the past 10 years, only Vardy can be aggrieved he didn’t play more 

[Mike Oxlong]

Have we got a Harry Winks thread 🤔

[Out Foxed]

23 minutes ago, Stadt said:

We’ve had plenty of players called up over the past 10 years, only Vardy can be aggrieved he didn’t play more 

you must be from a parallel universe, did we win the league there too?

[RonnieTodger]

Love him

[Durnerz]

Such a class player, exactly what we've needed for a long time.

[Lillehamring]

You can see on his face after goals and wins how much he's enjoying his time now.  He's like a big kid - it's great to see.

 

A lot of people on this forum laughed or cried at his signing by us, but he's been sensational, undroppable...

[UniFox21]

Isn't a Southgate favourite, and doesn't play for a big 6. 

Sadly his England career is probably done 

[volpeazzurro]

No chance whilst Southgate is there. Current form and quality doesn't come into it, you've got to have achieved favourite status. Does anyone for example think that Rashford, Henderson and Philips will be left out of the squad? 

[CosbehFox]

He’s only ever played for England under Southgate. 

[CosbehFox]

4 hours ago, Out Foxed said:

you must be from a parallel universe, did we win the league there too?

No but it didn’t stop someone like James Justin being capped whilst a Leicester player and we firmly mid table at the time 

[Vacamion]

 

We need to get promoted and then he needs to put in boss-like performances that we hope he is capable of at that level.

 

[Guest glasgowfox]

Love the guy but not good enough and if he was he would not be at Leicester in the championship....love my club and him but I stand by my comment unfortunately 

[Chrysalis]

Was hoping he didnt care, as always England is a tapping up ground.

[Finnegan]

Southgate wouldn't know what to do with this current Harry Winks anyway, he'd be completely wasted. 

[TheGoldenGod]

9 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

No but it didn’t stop someone like James Justin being capped whilst a Leicester player and we firmly mid table at the time 

Fairly certain that's down to the fact "Chilly B" and Shaw are made of glass, dirth of good English LBs of recent years, to the point where they called up a RB (Justin). I'd argue Leicester players are overlooked! Maddison the key example of someone who had to be literally exceptional even to be considered which was bizarre when you consider who GS was picking over him.

[CrazyKopCorner]

Absolutely class - way too good for Southgate 

[Rossiter]

Championship players don't usually get picked for England. Steve Bull did I think when he was in Div 2. Argument against picking a championship player is they are not competing against the best week in week out.