Some Spurs fans were left pleasantly surprised by Harry Winks’ impressive cameo of the bench against Vitesse Arnhem in Antonio Conte’s first game in charge. 

Winks struggled for game time under Nuno Espirito Santo this season just as he did under Jose Mourinho last campaign.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from his boyhood club in January, with Aston Villa and Everton alleged to be the front-runners for his signature.

The midfielder came for Oliver Skipp in the 73rd minute against Vitesse as Conte made a triple substitution following Cristian Romero’s sending off. The 25-year-old picked up the ball in tight areas and constantly moved the team up the pitch. 

He also showcased his passing range against the Eredivisie side rather than taking conservative options in possession as he has too often over recent times.

Some Tottenham fans were overjoyed to see Winks’ performance, with many wondering if the England international could be transformed under Conte’s stewardship.

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Spurs Web Opinion 

Winks was never as bad a player as many Spurs fans seemed to think. He clearly has some useful attributes and it was evident that his confidence had been shot to pieces over the last couple of years. I certainly would not rule out the possibility of Winks getting a lot of game time under Conte. 

When the Italian uses a 3-5-2 (instead of the 3-4-3 he used against Vitesse), he usually prefers his deepest midfielder to not just be a destroyer but to also receive possession in tight areas and move the ball forward.

Winks is better at doing that than either Skipp or Hojbjerg. However, I suspect that is an area the club will look to strengthen in January.

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