Winks rates Maresca above Pochettino and Mourinho after working under all three

Harry Winks has named Enzo Maresca the finest manager he has worked under, placing the Manchester City boss above both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho — two coaches widely regarded among the game’s elite — as Pochettino edges closer to taking charge at Manchester United.

Winks spent eight years at Tottenham, making 203 appearances between 2014 and 2022, and was managed in north London by Pochettino, Mourinho and Antonio Conte in succession. After a loan spell at Sampdoria, he joined Leicester City in 2023 for £10 million — arriving just two weeks after Maresca was appointed at the King Power Stadium.

Speaking during the 2023/24 season, Winks was unequivocal in his assessment. “By far the best manager I’ve worked for,” he told Sky Sports. “He’s incredible, and I think everyone will say he’s going right to the top in terms of managerial stature. I think he’s got everything.”

The English midfielder pointed to Maresca’s tactical detail as something he had never previously encountered. “He’s a great man-manager. He’s tactically incredible — some of the decisions he tells us to do before the game and how you view the matches, it’s something that I’ve never experienced before in football. It’s opened my eyes a lot to football and the way it’s played, that kind of Pep Guardiola style as well, who he worked with for a very long time.”

Maresca delivered on that promise, guiding Leicester back to the Premier League in 2023/24 before being appointed Chelsea manager. His time at Stamford Bridge yielded the Conference League and the Club World Cup before he parted ways with the club in early 2026. He was named Manchester City manager in June.

The backdrop to Winks’s praise is the imminent appointment of Pochettino at Old Trafford. With Michael Carrick having left the role, the Argentine — currently in charge of the United States men’s national team — is reported to have agreed personal terms, with a £7 million-plus release clause in his USMNT contract set to be activated. Pochettino is expected to take charge of the USA’s games against Haiti on November 14 and 18 before travelling to Manchester.

For Winks, the Leicester reunion with Maresca ultimately ended in disappointment. He suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One with the Foxes and departed in July, signing a two-year deal with Serie A side Cagliari.