The Spurs youngster has become a part of the first-team furniture at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has named to the London Evening Standard the two players he aspired to emulate whilst a youngster in the club’s academy.
Winks, a lifelong Spurs fan, graduated from the club’s academy and after making his senior debut in November 2014, has become an important part of Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team squad.
The 21-year-old has made 23 appearances in all competitions this term, scoring his first senior goal in the London derby win over West Ham, and has become a firm fan favourite at White Hart Lane in recognition of his background as a Spurs fan and his passionate displays on the pitch.
Now, speaking to the Standard, the youngster has revealed that there were two players of Tottenham’s previous generation whom he always aspired to emulate during his days as a teenage talent in the academy.
Winks name-checked current Real Madrid star Luka Modric, and veteran ex-England international Scott Parker as two of his biggest influences.
Winks said: “I always looked up to someone like Scott Parker when I was a youngster coming through. He was a top player – him and Luka Modric are both top players I really admire.
“Playing for Spurs is a dream come true every time I go out on the field. At the moment we have a very good team spirit, we just get on really well as a bunch of boys.
“We’ve just come back from a trip to Barcelona and we all respect each other.”
Modric, certainly, is an unsurprising choice. The Croatian was one of Tottenham’s biggest stars between 2008 and 2012, playing 159 times and scoring 17 goals before being sold to Real Madrid for around £30 million in 2012.
Parker, meanwhile, was already 30 when he joined Spurs in 2011 but was an important figure in a combative central midfield role for his two years at the club.
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