Harry Winks has shone for Leicester since leaving Tottenham and is now targeting a return to the England set-up, with the Foxes now back in the Premier League.
Harry Winks says he never stopped dreaming of England.
The Foxes midfielder is back in the big game and is looking to get back into the Three Lions side. Winks, 28, last played for his country almost four years ago in the 3-0 win over Ireland at Wembley.
He left Spurs last summer in search of regular game time and found himself in the East Midlands as part of Enzo Maresca’s promoted squad. A return to League One was part of the plan after he joined the Foxes for £10million.
And the desire to play for the three lions never left him. Asked about his return, he said: “Obviously it’s not in my hands. The important thing is that I play well for Leicester – then everything will be fine.
“But it’s something I think about. I’ve never stopped thinking about it. I know you have to perform well at the highest level and the Premier League is that level.”
Winks enjoyed solid action as Maresca led the club to the league title. And the midfielder said going abroad offered him the chance to be noticed but felt he would have been better off staying in England and taking the chance to return to the elite after spending one Championship campaign.
He added: “The Premier League seems like the best place to try to come back. When you go abroad or in the Championship, you don’t look at it like that. The Premier League is the best league in the world, so you have to show it on that stage.
“I’m looking forward, with the team and the players here we can have a positive season and I personally want to make sure of that as well. I have full confidence in myself. I’ve never lost that.
“I’ve always said it’s about playing games regularly and getting my confidence back. I’ve had that since I came to the club. I love the club, the players and I’ve felt at home since I arrived.”
Maresca did Wink a favor when they played together last semester. The Italian coach said the midfielder was on loan in the Championship – and so it turned out.
However, the manager who set him up now has much bigger problems at Chelsea – as Winks clashes with new boss Steve Cooper. He said: “It’s still fun – but it’s different to last season.
“We learn what he wants. He gave the older players a bit of license. It’s not that big of a difference, but the main thing is that we build differently.
”We are trying to keep the same style with an overload in the middle. Without the ball it is different. The coach has been in the PL, he understands what it takes to stay in the PL and we have to understand that this is what the manager wants to do and we are all working, which he says It proved on Monday – because a point against Spurs is a good return.