sport news Harry Winks talks all things Tottenham with Jermaine Jenas

Sitting on two plastic chairs, in an otherwise empty squash court at a leisure centre just over a mile south of White Hart Lane, two of Tottenham's No 8s are reminiscing about the last time the club won a trophy.

One of them was on the pitch that day in February 2008 for the League Cup final against Chelsea. The other sat in the top tier at Wembley. Jermaine Jenas took the free-kick four minutes into extra-time and Harry Winks, with his dad, celebrated as Jonathan Woodgate nodded in the winner.

Winks grew up a Spurs fan and joined the academy aged eight. Jenas arrived at Spurs the following year. More than a decade on it's Winks who wears the shirt. Still only 22, he has become a staple of Mauricio Pochettino's bright young challengers.  

Pochettino had the faith in Winks to start him twice against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season, twice again versus Barcelona this term, and against Liverpool. Now, it's Jenas who cheers on from the side.

James Sharpe listened in as the pair talk Pochettino, midfield heroes and whether this will be the year that Spurs end their trophy drought.

JENAS I heard that you used to go to watch quite a lot of games as a young fan?

WINKS I did, yeah!

JENAS That must have been amazing. I am from Nottingham, came through the ranks at Forest, a ball boy there too. I am sure you had the same at Spurs.

WINKS I was in the stands watching you! I think I was even a flag-bearer for one of your games.

JENAS For you to be able to be on the pitch and draw on your experience of being within the fans, what is that like? Do you have moments where you think you need to dig a little deeper because you know what it feels like to be on the terraces?

WINKS I remember going mad in the living room with my dad when you scored late on in the 4-4 draw against Arsenal. I know what it is like to be a Tottenham fan. I remember these moments. You get that extra sense of feeling of what the fans want.

Right now, what the fans surely want is for their manager to stay. Pochettino has been heavily linked with the Manchester United job following the sacking of Jose Mourinho last month. That must also be a feeling for Winks, too, who has seen his career soar under the guidance of Pochettino.

JENAS Spurs are now a club that is synonymous with bringing through young talent. Who were the players that you saw break through that made you think you could do it?

WINKS Harry (Kane) is probably the prime example. Since the manager has come in, he has taken H to a new level. When the manager first arrived, there was all this talk about wanting to bring young players through and give them the opportunity. That is exactly what he has done.

JENAS A lot of managers say it, but actually telling Harry Winks that he is going to play against Barcelona is completely different…

WINKS To put you in matches of that magnitude, it shows how much faith he has. But he sticks to that as well. He has a clear vision for every player and what he wants to do in a few years. 

Thankfully, he had a good vision for me and as long as I work hard and try to repay him, then he is loyal enough to give me that opportunity.

JENAS It is more than just that faith? Is there any technical stuff that Mauricio brings to you as a central midfielder? Your game has adapted slightly, especially with the deeper role you have recently.

WINKS The foundations to the gaffer is always about hard work. As an actual tactical and technical manager, he always tries to improve us. 

If we are playing against an opposition where they will press, he might tell me to go on to that side of the pitch, or stay this side of the striker. He gives a lot of tactical advice to help me out as much as the technical and physical game.

JENAS Having been a central midfielder myself, when I watch you I am impressed by how disciplined you are. I suppose a bit like what Sergio Busquets does for Barcelona: 5-15 yard passes, breaking lines. 

I have seen you run with the ball and you can go past players better than people give you credit for. But sometimes when you get your head up and see that 60-yard pass, people like me might shout 'go on, hit it', but you don't. You just keep it ticking over. Is that something Mauricio is asking you to do or is that just who you are?

WINKS A bit of both. A lot of it depends on the situation. You know yourself that if you are confident and things are going well, you will just do it instinctively but a lot of the time I like to build myself into the game, try to get as many passes as I can, get the rhythm of the match, and then eventually start to drive a bit, play the big pass, and try to help the game by getting assists and goals. That is an area I need to improve a lot more.

SHARPE You mentioned Busquets. When you were brought into these big games against Barcelona and Real Madrid and you are playing against the likes of Busquets and Modric. What was that like and what do you take from those players when you shared the pitch with them?

WINKS You can take something from each of them. Jermaine, you played with Luka. You know how good he is. Playing against him, you can't get near him.

JENAS It's frustrating, isn't it! Try doing it every day in training.

WINKS I can imagine. It must have driven you mad.

JENAS It did!

WINKS With someone like Busquets, his composure on the ball is unbelievable. I like to take a little bit from every midfielder I have played against, whether it's physically, technically, tactically, just to try to improve my game.

SHARPE Danny Rose recently called you the 'Little Iniesta'. So has Pochettino in the past…

WINKS To even be in the same breath as Iniesta is an honour in itself. I've got a lot of work to do to get to that level!

SHARPE Was he the player you most admired growing up? Who did you watch and think 'yeah, I want to be like you'?

WINKS The

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