Tottenham youngster earns England debut

Less than one week after a surprise call up, Tottenham Academy graduate Harry Winks made his full debut in England colors on Sunday.

The 20-year-old midfielder played the full 90 minutes of England’s concluding match for the 2018 World Cup alongside his Tottenham teammates Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier and Harry Kane.

It was the latter’s penalty kick in the 27th minute that decided the contest in England’s favor. Those three points combined with those won against Slovenia on Thursday to ensure England’s place atop their qualifying group and thus their automatic entry into next summer’s World Cup in Russia.

Thursday’s win, along with results elsewhere, more or less ensured England’s progress, which left Gareth Southgate free to make some intriguing changes to his side. Regular starters such as Eric Dier and Kyle Walker were rested, with Winks and Trippier coming up into the starting XI in their stead.

Winks’ presence in the lineup also owes a bit to some bittersweet turn of fortune. Southgate had not considered Winks initially, and only called him up at the last moment following injuries to Phil Jones and Fabian Delph.

The confidence Mauricio Pochettino has shown in the young versatile midfielder helped matters as well. Though an injury in April of last season slowed his ascent up the Tottenham ranks, in the last few weeks he’s played more and more minutes for the side.

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He played all 90 minutes against both APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League and against Huddersfield later in the same week. Were Mousa Dembélé not himself suffering from injury, those minutes might not have come. But, thankfully for Winks, they did just in time for Southgate to confidently turn to him when the time came.

Straight away on Sunday, Winks went about repaying that confidence. Though he was in the side for Dier, the latter’s role mostly fell to Jordan Henderson. Winks, meanwhile, was free to play the game he usually plays for Spurs: rangy, energetic and never too far way from the final third.

Indeed, for stretches he was England’s standout player. Lithuania had no hope of any meaningful result, but it was a home game and they did what they could to keep England from too much joy. Nevertheless, Winks played a central role in maintaining England’s rhythm on their way to securing a victory.

The quality of the performance escaped few pundits, and many wondered if Winks might be in line for a shock inclusion in next summer’s World Cup squad. As quoted by the Guardian:

"“I trust my ability and believe I am good enough to play at this level. All I can do is keep performing for Tottenham and then for England if I get the opportunity … It is a long way away and all I can do is work hard, stay level-headed and keep trying to improve and do everything I possibly can. Of course it is something I’ve dreamed of, to be able to say I’ve been to the World Cup.”"

There’s a clear theme running through Winks’ ascent, first at Tottenham and now — potentially — England. It’s the same as the one running through the stories of Dier, Kane, Alli and Trippier’s rise.

Pochettino’s eye for talent — particularly English talent — is remarkable. He proved that at Southampton, and now he’s making an even greater impression at Tottenham. Winks’ confidence runs in parallel with the man who gave him the chance to compete at football’s highest levels.

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With England’s qualification now complete, the next eight months will afford plenty of time for Winks to build an even stronger case. There will be obstacles — Dembélé’s eventual return to fitness chief among them — but if he can sustain the momentum of the last few weeks for just a little while yet, Pochettino might struggle to imagine a Tottenham team without Winks in it.