Yahoo News Harry Winks makes Chelsea point over Leicester City's Premier League credentials
Harry Winks feels there is proof already that Leicester City have what it takes to survive in the Premier League.
After the celebrations come the holidays, but in a few weeks’ time, Enzo Maresca and the club will begin to prepare for the transfer window. Shortly after, the fixtures will be released and the squad will return for pre-season training.
Thoughts then turn to how City can keep themselves in the Premier League. Maresca has already outlined that survival is the aim, with the club not in a position to think beyond that. That’s not only because of the points deduction they may start with, but also because of the leap in quality between the divisions.
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This season, the three promoted clubs are on course to come straight back down. If not for Nottingham Forest’s points deduction, Luton and Burnley would be mathematically relegated by now, alongside Sheffield United.
But Winks is confident. Not only do they have an abundance of top-flight experience within the squad, but the FA Cup run, in which they faced two Premier League sides, gives the midfielder belief that City have the quality to hold their own too.
“We played Bournemouth and we won and we matched Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for a large period of the game,” Winks said. “So with the manager – we’ve got such an incredible manager – I believe next year we’ll hopefully be okay.
“When you play in the Premier League, it’s a level apart. It’s a completely different physicality of football. You need to understand how the game works, and be intelligent and clever in games.
“And we've got enough of that in the squad. We’ve got so many players of Premier League quality and with Premier League experience. So I like to think hopefully next year, we'll be okay.
“It’s the epitome of football. It's where everyone wants to be. And I can't wait to go back there. And especially with Leicester, because it's a club that deserves to be in the Premier League.”
Winks himself already has six seasons of Premier League football under his belt with Tottenham and he could have been playing there this year too had he waited longer into the summer to see the offers that might come his way. But City and Maresca’s keenness to sign him convinced him to drop down a division, and it’s made for the best campaign of his career.
No City player featured more often in the Championship this season, Winks missing just one of the 46 matches, while both of his goals were late away-day winners at QPR and West Brom. Plus, he finishes the season with the first trophy of his career.
He said: “It's been an incredible season. I've enjoyed my football. I've enjoyed playing for, in my opinion, a Premier League club that needed to get back. And I’ve been fighting every day to achieve something special with a great group of lads at a great club. And so it makes it a little bit more special.
“The Championship is such an incredible league, it doesn't get the respect it deserves. You can see with Leeds and with Southampton being in the play-offs, two teams that would also have wanted to go up after going down last year. So it just shows how tough the league is. Anyone could beat anyone.
“I didn't see it as a risk (dropping down) but as a stepping stone where I just wanted to enjoy my football and play for a great club and a great manager. And this year has been probably the best season of my career.
“It's what every player wants in their life, to win a trophy and to win a medal. To be standing here as champions is something I'm really happy that I've achieved in my career.”
