Harry Winks had credited former Tottenham winger Andros Townsend with helping him to find his feet as a youngster at the club.
Townsend, who left Spurs for Newcastle United in 2015, is set to face his old club as a Crystal Palace player at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The 27-year-old is five years older than Winks and had prior experience of going from the Tottenham academy to the first-team in a short period of time.
And Winks has revealed Townsend helped him to settle when he first had a chance to play senior football for Spurs.
“As an academy player coming through, it’s always difficult,” Winks said (via the London Evening Standard).
“New players being brought in ahead of you and there are existing players who are more experienced than you. It’s always nice to have someone who knows where you’re coming from, knows where you’ve been and can help you settle in.
“Andros was important for me when I was coming through the academy and getting into the first team. He was a big part of helping me settle in and integrate with the lads. He’s a great guy and I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”
Winks has been in fine form of late and looks set for an extended spell in the team following the news Mousa Dembele will be out until the New Year with an ankle problem.
The 22-year-old appears to have gotten over the worst of an ankle injury of his own, which is good news for both Tottenham and England.
We’ve included Winks in our predicted XI to face Palace – check it out here.
