Harry Winks has taken a big risk at Tottenham

Harry Winks certainly isn’t short on confidence. Any player suffering from a lack of self belief would not have asked to wear the No. 8 shirt at Tottenham.

No Tottenham fans can accuse Harry Winks from lacking confidence. The English midfielder clearly has a lot of confidence in his footballing abilities. That’s the only reason he felt comfortable asking the club for the No. 8 shirt this summer.

Winks freely admits that he sought out the kit change. He previously played for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad with the No. 29 on his pack. Switching to No. 8 is a clear indication that he believes he should be a part of Tottenham’s starting lineup on a weekly basis. That might be a little premature for the precocious youngster, but it’s certainly a possible outcome for his career.

Winks claims the kit switch was a bit of a “whirlwind” for him this summer. He initiated the request, but the club’s acquiescence happened pretty quickly. Now he claims it’s time to really get to work to live up to the hype of his new number.

It’s going to take quite a bit of work from Winks to force his way into the starting XI. Eric Dier has done an excellent job of filling the defensive midfield during his absence. If Victor Wanyama can regain fitness he’ll force his way into the mix as well. Winks will have to catch Pochettino’s eye by doing something different than his more physical peers.

Mainly, that means Winks has to be much better on the ball than any of the other defensive midfielders in the squad. He’s certainly shown that ability in the past. One need only watch his exploits against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season to see what he’s capable of doing.

Unfortunately, injuries continue to be a significant problem for Winks’ development. He missed a long stretch of action last season with an ankle problem and it also cost him the start of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign. Availability is a skill Winks has to master if he’s really going to earn Pochettino’s trust for the long haul.

It will be interesting to see what role Pochettino envisions for him in the short-term. He’s unlikely to start for Spurs at Manchester United on Monday night, but he should be on the bench once again. That’s not where he wants to be with the No. 8 shirt but he’ll have to accept that role for now.

In the end, Tottenham will have a world-class midfielder on their hands if Winks can live up to the potential he believes is inside him. The rest of the world will be watching and waiting to see if he can live up to the hype he’s created for himself.