Harry Winks: Antonio Conte has given me first-team opportunities at Spurs that other managers didn't
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Updated 10/01/2022 at 13:32 GMT
Harry Winks is happy with his rhythm under Antonio Conte at Spurs after a fallow time at the club under Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo. The 25-year-old midfielder hasn't been a regular since ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino departed in 2019, and lost his place in Gareth Southgate's England squad as a result. But now he could make a late run for the 2022 World Cup.
Harry Winks
Image credit: Getty Images
Harry Winks has hinted at past discord with previous Spurs managers by praising Antonio Conte's role in his resurgence at Spurs.
Winks has seen little regular first-team action at the club in the past couple of seasons, with Jose Mourinho and then Nuno Espirito Santo both eschewing the lithe schemer in favour of other midfield options.
But Winks scored the vital equaliser in his side's 3-1 win over Morecambe in the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday and has played 90 minutes in the Premier League twice in the past month, most notably in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool on December 19.
“I’m now getting some rhythm which is what I want,” Winks said after the win over the Shrimps at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I want to be playing more regularly, I want to be starting every week as that’s when you get the best form and rhythm.
“When you’re in and out it's tough to find your best form and confidence.
The manager has given me opportunities which I didn’t get before and I want to repay that faith because beforehand I wasn't given that.
Those opportunities could lead to a recall to Gareth Southgate's England squad in 2022.
Winks hasn't featured for his national team since November 2020 but with Southgate a known admirer, Winks could mount a late charge for a place in the squad for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
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Harry Winks
Image credit: Getty Images
Despite Conte overseeing overall improvements in his time at Spurs so far, Winks was unhappy with his side's performance against Morecambe.
Winks told Spurs TV: “In these types of games you have to be professional, you have to play properly in the first 10 minutes, you have to kill the game as soon as possible, but we made it as difficult as we possibly could for ourselves.
“At half-time there were some honest words. It wasn’t good enough and we know that, we hold ourselves accountable.
“We did better in the second half than the first, but it’s not good enough.
“We can’t give them the opportunity, we’re at home, we’re the Premier League team, we should be stamping our authority on the team as soon as possible.
But we were sloppy and for me it wasn’t a good enough performance.
"Everybody can look at ourselves and say that wasn’t good enough.”
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