Harry Winks is ready to take his Euro 2020 audition and become Gareth Southgate’s main man in midfield next summer.
Tottenham midfielder Winks, 23, who is set to win his sixth cap against Kosovo on Sunday night, and they have won every time he has started for his country.
It is no coincidence either as Winks clearly gives England a different way of playing and yet the fierce competition for midfield places means he has to keep pushing himself.
Winks said: “There’s a lot of competition at the moment in this group and everybody is performing so well for their club[s]. So, in some respects, it’s a good thing because you feel like you have to always be on top of your game.
“That’s only a positive for both myself, the club and the country as well. Because, obviously, I want to improve and want to help others improve as well.
“There are so many players that are pushing for positions and places, and as long as I stay on top of my game and as long as everybody else does [as well], it will be a good selection problem for the gaffer and hopefully we can make that as difficult as possible for him.
“Every time you get the opportunity to play for your club and country, it’s important that I can put in a positive performance because, first and foremost, I want to play in this team and I want to do myself as much justice as possible.”
It is a measure of how highly Southgate rates Winks that he is picking him despite the midfielder losing his place at Spurs in recent games, even being left at home for the Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade.
But Winks says he has not spoken to Mauricio Pochettino about being left out and intends to win his place back at White Hart Lane.
Winks said: “I never spoke to the manager about why I was left out, but I assumed it was a tactical decision and, you know, it was the manager’s decision and of course I respect that.
“Going into the Premier League, going back after the international break, it’s going to be important to try and get as many games as possible and start as much as I can.
“And, you know, let’s hope that happens here with England, performing well and then going back and training well and keeping the levels high, because that’s the most important thing when you’re trying to play for Tottenham and England.”
