Mauricio Pochettino's roots Espanyol don’t often allow him room for much adulation of local rivals Barcelona.
But for Harry Winks, the Spurs boss makes an exception.
For in Pochettino ’s eyes the 21-year-old Tottenham star is such a gem insiders say he privately calls Winks his ‘Little Iniesta’ in homage to the Barcelona midfielder who has been at the heart of the Nou Camp success for a decade and a half.
“That’s news to me” smiled Winks “I haven’t been told that - but I’d love him to. It’s not a bad title to have!
“I can only go off what I am like as a player. And I would say I am myself, I can’t really compare myself to anyone else.
“Players like Andres Iniesta are top, top players and I’m not at that level just yet. But I like to draw different types of models and games from different players.
“And Iniesta is certainly the type of player I could look up to and I would like to draw parts of his game into mine.”
Winks might have boy band good looks, but he’s a tough competitor with a big future ahead.
Sadly, his rapid progress into the first team last season was cut short by a freak accident at Burnley in April that left him with severe ankle ligament damage after crashing into a drinks crate in front of the dugout at Turf Moor.
But he’s all set to play a role for Pochettino this season after regaining full fitness - even though he’s still in pain from the injury.
“The injury was probably the hardest and most difficult time of my career so far because when you are doing really well you start to get opportunities” says Winks.
“There were big games coming up like the FA Cup semi final and the North London derby last season just as I was starting to get involved, so it was tough.
“I still get a lot of pain and a few symptoms and stiffness in the ankle which is normal, it’s part of an ankle injury.
“I just have to play through it and hopefully in the next few months it will disappear slowly.
“Now I am back fit and playing it makes you have that little bit more determination when you are back out on the field.
“I’ve been out for nearly four months and when you have been out that long you start to miss the game and when you get back out there you realise just how much you really do live it and enjoy it.”
Spurs are under pressure to join the cash crazy transfer merry-go-round – but Winks believes, under Pochettino, Tottenham are close to a trophy breakthrough.
Speaking at a coaching clinic for youngsters at Tennessee Soccer Club in Nashville where Spurs play Manchester City on Saturday, Winks said: “Yeah, we want to.
“That’s the aim and the ambition in the team” he says. “We feel we’re good enough to win a trophy this year, every year.
“It’s a long season, we can’t say we’re going to win one. Every year we go in aiming for that but it’s difficult to say now that we’re going to win one. We’re strong enough and the belief is there.
“We’ve got world class players within the squad, people like Harry Kane, Mousa, Dele, Eriksen. We’ve got top players in the team but if every player wants to keep improving then there’s no reason we can’t go one step further and win the league this year.”
Aside from Iniesta, Winks has another link to Spain having a Spanish mother and grandparents.
But having played every England youth level from 17 through to the Under-21s it’s never crossed his mind to play for Spain.
“I consider myself English. I’ve got Spanish grandparents and that’s my connection with Spain. But I want to play for England. That’s what I’ve said all along.
“Obviously I have goals and ambitions that I’d love to achieve and of course I’d love to play for England this year, but that’s not something I’m saying I’m going to set myself to do. I’m just going to take it step by step in getting into the Spurs team first.”
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