Tim Sherwood sings the praises of Spurs academy product

Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks put in two excellent displays in the heart of England’s midfield as he helped the Three Lions overcome both Montenegro and Kosovo.

This was the first time the Spurs midfielder has stared both games during an international break and he certainly showed why he is rated so highly by many.

While Winks was deployed in his usual midfield pivot role against Montenegro, he featured in a more advanced role in the 4-0 win against Kosovo on Sunday with Gareth Southgate deciding to start him alongside Declan Rice.

Rice operated in a holding role in front of the back four, affording Winks the opportunity to burst forward with the ball, which he did to great effect. The 23-year-old opened the scoring for England on the night and put in a man of the match display.

On the back of his England performances, former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has backed Winks to make the defensive midfield spot for England his own for the Euros next summer.

Speaking to Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast Show on TalkSPORT (Monday, 9:15am), Sherwood said, “For me, if you look at the England squad, I think Winks is going to be the number six.

“He’s got good awareness, he’s got pace, he’s not afraid to pass through the lines rather than keep it safe.

“It is between Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice, he hasn’t got the experience but he is my pick for the position.”

Spurs Web Opinion

There are simply no other players in the England squad who can play the deep lying playmaker role as well as Winks can, which makes him extremely valuable for the squad. The formula of playing both Winks and Rice together can work out well for England particularly in games against top teams where they might not see as much of the ball as they want.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Related Topics

Have something to tell us about this article? Let us know