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Tottenham star silences England doubters with masterful performance

By Rucker Haringey

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - OCTOBER 08: Harry Winks of England arrives prior to the FIFA 2018 World Cup Group F Qualifier between Lithuania and England at LFF Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - OCTOBER 08: Harry Winks of England arrives prior to the FIFA 2018 World Cup Group F Qualifier between Lithuania and England at LFF Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham fans knew Harry Winks would play well

England supporters finally learned what Tottenham fans have known for quite some time. Harry Winks’ masterful performance against Lithuania silenced any critics who didn’t believe he deserved a spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

It wasn’t a terrific win for the Three Lions, but they got the job done in a pretty quiet 1-0 defeat of Lithuania. It was, however, a terrific performance for Winks. The Spurs midfielder led his nation with a Whoscored.com player rating of 7.7 on the afternoon. Even at 21 years of age the Spurs star looked completely comfortable out on the pitch for his country.

His performance should emphatically shut up England fans who thought someone like Mark Noble should have gotten the nod. Southgate elected to call Winks up despite the fact that he’s only started four Premier League matches. His faith was repaid with a stellar performance.

Playing alongside three Spurs teammates certainly helped calm any nerves Winks might have been experiencing coming into the match. Instead of looking out of his depth, he looked to be the coolest player on the pitch. He kept the ball ticking for the English midfield all afternoon long. Perhaps more surprisingly, he showed a real penchant for breaking up Lithuania’s attack when they tried to string England on the counter.

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It was Winks, not Southgate favourite Jordan Henderson, who controlled the match from the midfield. Winks may have received the start due to the artificial playing surface, but the way he played will put him in line for a starting spot on any type of pitch. There’s a long time between now and the 2018 World Cup, but Winks is certainly going to factor into Southgate’s plans if his development continues.

In fairness, this might be the best 90 minutes I’ve ever seen Winks play. Even if it is, that says something encouraging about his mental strength. He wasn’t intimidated by the occasion in the slightest. Instead of shrinking on the big stage, Winks picked up his play to stand out in the biggest match of his career to date.

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Harry Winks may not be a world-class star, but he definitely showed he’s worthy of a place in England’s squad moving forward. Just as he does for Tottenham, he gave his team some much-needed creativity from the midfield in his England debut.

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