Sam Allardyce has had his say after Harry Winks was dropped by Leicester for refusing to compromise on his 100-mile daily commute.
The midfielder was left out of the matchday squad for the Foxes’ 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday night, with reports of a heated row with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy later emerging.
The Telegraph claim this came after the Dutchman requested Winks stay overnight one day a week at Leicester’s training ground.
It is understood the 29-year-old is one of three senior players to travel more than 90 miles a day to the club’s £100million Seagrove complex in north Leicestershire.
However, Winks is said to have shut down this suggestion, citing his own private reasons for commuting from Hertfordshire, having done so since his £10m move to the King Power from Tottenham last season.
On Thursday, the Englishman revealed with a post on Instagram that his partner had given birth to their baby daughter on March 12, with this a likely factor in his decision to keep commuting from home.
The timing of his post, and sharing of his baby’s birth date, appeared to be a direct response to media reports over his absence, with a host of fans and fellow players congratulating him on the news.
Winks also appeared to like a comment that supported his decision to stay with his family, which read: “This is why you didn’t want to commute – that’s media for you.”
Clearly his decision has not gone down well with Van Nistelrooy, with Winks missing for the demoralising defeat to City, which leaves the Foxes 19th in the Premier League table, 12 points adrift of safety.
And former Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham manager Allardyce has taken the Leicester boss’ side, admitting he would only accept Winks’ stance on certain conditions.
Addressing the recent news, he told talkSPORT Breakfast: “Well the first thing I’d do is ask him how he’s travelling up.
“And if he hasn’t got a chauffeur with the money he’ll be earning, I’d probably drop him.
“I’d probably just let him get away with it if somebody’s picking him up in the morning, and driving him there and driving him home.”
Allardyce then revealed he would implement some strong rules as a manager to avoid a similar situation to Winks’.
The 70-year-old continued: “When you’re signing a player, it’s got to go in the contract hasn’t it?
“You’ve got to put in the contract – you’ve got to live within, I don’t know, 40 miles of the training ground or the stadium.
“Otherwise don’t sign them, and don’t leave that door open so you get these lads travelling.”
And while the former England boss acknowledged the pressures family life can place on players, he proceeded to slam the ten-cap England international’s professionalism.
Allardyce added: “It’s clear sometimes the pressure on the player, because if he is married, and his wife won’t move, that’s the problem.
“And I think that’s very dangerous for a professional when his wife decides that she’s going to stay where she is, and you have to decide whether you’re going to travel every day or whether you’re going to stay over.
“But to not stay over the day before a game particularly is extremely unprofessional in my view.”
Since joining from Tottenham in Jul 2023, Winks has made 73 appearances for Leicester in all competitions.
He was a mainstay in Enzo Maresca‘s side which lifted the Championship title in 2024, starting all but one of their league games in the promotion-winning season.
This term began in a similar vein, with the ex-Spurs man a regular starter under former boss Steve Cooper and later Van Nistelrooy.
However, his recent row with his manager looks to have pushed Winks down the pecking order, who has now not started in the Premier League since a 4-0 defeat at Everton on February 1.
It remains to be seen whether he will return to the Foxes’ squad for their next game against Newcastle on Monday night.
