Harry Winks

Tottenham Hotspur

Early career

Winks is a product of the Tottenham Hotspur youth system. During the 2013–14 season, he regularly trained with the first-team squad and was named on the senior bench for the first time in a Premier League tie against Liverpool on 30 March 2014, remaining an unused substitute in a 4–0 loss at Anfield. On 27 July 2014, Winks signed his first professional contract with Tottenham; according to Winks, Mauricio Pochettino said that he wanted to sign Winks immediately after watching videos of his performances. He made his first team debut on 27 November 2014 in the UEFA Europa League group against Partizan in a 1–0 home win at White Hart Lane, replacing Paulinho after 87 minutes. On 6 July 2015, Winks signed a new contract with Tottenham until 2018, with the option of an additional year. He was given the number 29 shirt, which was included on the club's list of first-team numbers. Winks made his first appearance of the season as a late substitute in a 3–1 win against Qarabağ.

2016–2018

On 27 August 2016, he made his Premier League debut, replacing Christian Eriksen in the last minute of the match in a 1–1 draw at home to Liverpool. On 19 November, Winks made his full debut against West Ham United, performing well and scoring his first ever goal for Spurs to level the match at 1–1. Tottenham went on to win the match 3–2 in a dramatic finish at White Hart Lane after scoring two late goals. Winks made his debut in the FA…

Winks has represented England up to senior level. Before this, he was eligible to represent Spain as well as England. He was part of the under-20 squad for the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup in Germany in 2015. Winks made his under-21 debut on 14 November 2016 where he started in England's friendly 3–2 defeat to France. On 2 October 2017, Winks received his first call up to the senior England squad, for their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Lithuania. He made his debut when starting in England's 1–0 away win over Lithuania, which was the team's final match in their successful 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. Phil McNulty of BBC Sport stated that, on the night, Winks was "England's best performer. Neat and tidy and almost scored. Eye-catching among so much mediocrity". Winks missed the World Cup due to injury, but returned to the England squad in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League away match against Spain. He helped England to a 3–2 win, the first competitive home defeat for Spain since 2003 and England's first win in Spain in 31 years, in what was judged a "self-assured" performance. Winks scored his first goal for England on 17 November 2019 in a 4–0 win against Kosovo in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.

Winks plays as a central or defensive midfielder. In September 2018, the Tottenham Hotspur manager at the time, Mauricio Pochettino, said: "When we talk about midfielders – because you like to use Spanish midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta – he's like this type of player", describing Winks as "completely different to our other midfielders like Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier, Mousa Dembélé and Moussa Sissoko. He has qualities to add to the team that are completely different". Talksport remarked that following his breakthrough for club and country, Winks was "seen as a potential difference-maker for the Three Lions due to his very individual skill set", with Winks earning comparisons with foreign midfielders rather than his English contemporaries. Former England and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy said in September 2018 that the England team should be built around Winks, citing his performance for Tottenham against Real Madrid in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage as evidence: "The one who I think has got the capability, more than anyone else I have seen, is [Harry] Winks. What he showed in that game in Madrid, in both games when he was fit and at it, was a confidence and an ability to play. To see the passes, to get his foot in and be disciplined and mix that mix of midfield talent that you need [...] for me, Winks is one of the best I've seen when he's at it – in terms of his all-round ability." ESPN FC's Ben Pearce opined in 2018: "England are still missing a…

Harry Winks was born to Anita and Gary Winks. He has Spanish ancestry through his maternal grandparents. He was born and raised in Hemel Hempstead and was educated at Cavendish School. Winks is a Tottenham Hotspur fan; he attended his first match at White Hart Lane when he was six. He was invited to train at Tottenham's development centre in St Albans after attending a summer football camp run by an academy coach when he was five, and joined the Tottenham Academy at the same age. In March 2025 he welcomed a baby girl "Marlowe" with fiancee Lowri Algar, which he shared to his Instagram account.