Harry Winks has revealed that he was so sure that it was time for him to leave Tottenham that he did not even have a conversation with Ange Postecoglou ahead of his move to Leicester City.
Winks completed a £10m move to Leicester at the start of July, with the midfielder’s departure from Spurs not coming as a surprise.
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – MARCH 01: Harry Winks of Tottenham Hotspur warms up ahead of the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur at Riverside Stadium on March 01, 2022 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
The Tottenham academy graduate had struggled for consistent game time ever since Mauricio Pochettino’s exit back in 2019 and spent last season on loan at Sampdoria.
The England international admitted that he wanted to feel valued again and that he made up his mind as soon as Leicester made an approach.
Winks told The Sun: “The most important thing for me was to feel wanted again. Leicester made it clear early on in the window that they wanted me as a key player.
“The manager personally asked for me and to feel wanted by a club of this magnitude was massive. So the main driving force was feeling wanted by Enzo Maresca.”
Harry Winks and Postecoglou didn’t hold talks
The midfielder revealed that both he and Tottenham were clear that the time had come to part ways, and that his desire for a quick resolution to his future meant that he never spoke with the new Spurs head coach.
He continued: “I’d been at Tottenham since I was five. But over the last few years, I wasn’t playing as much as I’d like to and the style of coaches we had was not ideal for me.
“There was no animosity with the club, I had some amazing years with Spurs, and I’m so grateful for my chance there. But it was time for both of us to move on.
“I never spoke to Ange. It was all done and decided before he came in. The general consensus between me and Spurs was, ‘Let’s get this done as soon as possible’.
“I wanted to start pre-season at the new place and get as fit as I could and meet everyone. The club felt the same way and everything happened pretty quick.”
Winks also hinted that his enthusiasm for the game had dissipated due to the negative approach that recent Tottenham managers employed.
The 27-year-old added: “The way that the manager wants to play is exactly the kind of football I love. When he told me on the phone about his style and how he wants to progress with the team, it was just a no-brainer for me.
“That’s the style I had under Pochettino which I really enjoyed. All we want to do is play football with the ball and when you’re set up to not have the ball, it’s demoralising.
“That was part of the reason why I wanted to come here — because the way the manager wants to set up is an approach I can buy into.”
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Winks might have actually had an outside chance of forcing himself into Postecoglou’s plans if he was part of pre-season at Tottenham as the midfielder’s characteristics suit the way the Australian wants to play.
However, having said that, it was clear that the 27-year-old needed to new challenge away from Spurs in order to revive his career, and he has taken a brave call to drop down to the Championship with Leicester to prioritise regular game time.
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