Player claims his Spurs career was ‘dead and buried’ before Conte joined
Harry Winks felt his Tottenham career was ‘dead and buried’ before Antonio Conte’s arrival and believes he is now being given a platform to show what he can do again.
The statement comes after Tottenham produced a limp display en route to a 3-2 defeat at home to Southampton on Wednesday night.
Winks featured in midfield for Spurs alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who both struggled to contain the visitors’ press and quality on the ball.
It was the 26-year-old’s eighth Premier League appearance under Conte, having made just two in the competition before his appointment in November (Transfermarkt).
Winks admitted that his career at Spurs was heading towards a dead-end under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, but is now taking positives from more regular game time.
He said (via Football.London): “The manager’s come in and given me a chance, given me confidence again. Every game I play, every training session I have that hunger to try to impress him and do everything I can to try to improve.
“Like I said before, my career at Tottenham was probably dead and buried but he’s come in and given me an opportunity to show myself and prove myself.
“For that, every time I get an opportunity I really want to impress the manager and show myself and repay that faith he’s shown in me and put it back to me.”
When asked to explain the comment about his career, Winks somewhat retracted his statement but insisted things weren’t heading in a positive direction.
He added: “Well, I wouldn’t say it was completely dead and buried but my chances at Tottenham were looking slim.
“I wasn’t getting opportunities and it might have looked like I would need to leave the club.
“I don’t know, but as I said, the new manager’s come in and given everyone an equal opportunity, which is all I wanted under the last two managers, and now it’s down to me to take that.
“So I wouldn’t say it was as strong as that but it was looking slim because the facts were that I wasn’t playing as much as I wanted to.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Conte’s arrival at Spurs has given the players a clean slate and a fresh start, hence why we have seen so many previous outcasts come back into the side. He may not be the player that he was under Mauricio Pochettino, but Conte clearly wants to give him a chance to get back on track.
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