Danny Higginbotham claims Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has benefited Christian Eriksen’s game

Follow us on Google Discover

Harry Winks and Christian Eriksen have been key members in Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield this season.

Sky Sports pundit Danny Higginbotham has claimed that Harry Winks has ‘brought the best’ out of his Tottenham teammate Christain Eriksen this season.

Both are deployed in midfield by manager Mauricio Pochettino, with Winks playing a deeper role and the Denmark international being utilised in more advanced positions.

For large parts of the campaign, they have produced the goods for Spurs, who have comfortably sat in the top four and reached the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Speaking to the Football Centre on Sky Sports News on 21/02/2019, former Premier League player, Higginbotham explained why Eriksen is benefiting from having Winks in the starting XI.

“With Harry Winks playing all the time, I think it has brought the best out of other players,” Higginbotham told Sky Sports News. “Teams find themselves in difficult positions in who to try and close down. Is it Eriksen or is it Winks?

“Winks can dictate from deep. They [the opposition] are dropping off because they are fearful about Eriksen. They are allowing Winks to have the ball in a deep position because they have to make sure they have players in the area that if Eriksen gets on the ball, they can stop him.

“But that allows Winks to dominate, get on the ball and get on the front foot. It has benefited Winks and it has benefited Eriksen as well.”

Both players started Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at Burnley on Saturday, with Winks being substituted midway through the second-half and Eriksen playing the full match.

Despite the north London outfit being disappointed with the result and performance at Turf Moor, they have still produced outstanding displays this season with Winks and Eriksen in the team.

Over the course of the campaign, Winks has played 36 games in all competitions, with his only goal coming against Fulham when he netted a last-minute winner [transfermarkt].

As for Eriksen, he has played 34 matches for this club in all competitions, finding the back of the net on seven occasions and supplying his teammates with an impressive 13 assists [transfermarkt].