Sunday 30 June 2019 11:35, UK
Harry Winks believes last season was the best of his career and says he has now "become an important player" for Tottenham.
Winks, who came though Spurs' academy, broke into the first team in 2014 after making his debut against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League and is preparing for his sixth full campaign at the club.
The 23-year-old England international midfielder made 41 appearances across all competitions last season as Mauricio Pochettino's side went on an unlikely run to the Champions League final, losing out to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
"I had a relatively injury-free season last year until the end," he told Spurs' official website. "I played a lot of matches, started a lot of matches and it was incredible, probably my best season so far at the club."
Tottenham's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in April - their first match in their new stadium - marked Winks' 100th appearance for the club, but he was forced to watch the rest of the Premier League season from the sidelines due to a groin injury.
The 23-year-old made a quicker return than anticipated and was in the starting XI for the club's biggest game of the season, the Champions League final in June.
Despite the disappointment of losing 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid, Winks feels he has become a vital cog in the Tottenham squad.
"I feel I've become an important player now and I couldn't ask for more," he added.
"If you'd asked me three or four years ago if I wanted to be in this position now I would have snapped your hand off, but the most important thing now is not to get carried away, to work as hard as I can and try to stay in there and maintain that position because there are so many top players here.
"Staying in is the hardest. It's fantastic to get there, but staying there is tough with so many top quality players at the club, all wanting to start."
Tottenham kick off their Premier League season on August 10 when they host newly-promoted Aston Villa.
