Harry Winks looks set for a bright future with Tottenham Hotspur – but so did Tom Carroll.
It has been quite the rise for young Harry Winks. From the odd smattering of appearances last season to a regular role in the first-team this, his new improved contract extension, as reported by the Evening Standard, is a just reward for his rapid rate of progression.
The 21-year-old has made 25 appearances this season, scoring his first goal for the club against West Ham United complete with a celebration befitting of the realisation of a childhood dream.
Mauricio Pochettino, a renowned nurturer of young talent, has allowed Winks to dip his toe into the senior game without throwing him in at the deep end and the midfielder’s composed performances are a credit to his manager’s faith in youth.
And the Evening Standard reports that Winks, highly-rated within the corridors of White Hart Lane, has been handed an improved weekly wage of £25,000 with his contract extended until 2022. The feeling is, within the next few years, he could be every bit as essential to Tottenham as Harry Kane.
Harry Winks, he is one of their own.
But Tottenham have been here before. Like Winks, Tom Carroll made his name in the Spurs’ academy system, his composed possession play and effortless shift and move game putting him on the verge of the first-team squad.
However, brief exposure to the big time was as good as it got for the Watford-born play-maker; impressive cameo contributions counting for little as he aimed to wrestle starting place off big-money signings and established starters.
At the age of 24, he finally bid farewell after just 24 Premier League appearances.
The similarities between Winks and Carroll are undeniable, in terms of both background and playing style.
However the hope is that, with Pochettino at the helm, Winks will step up rather than fritter away his development years on the sidelines.
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