Former Tottenham Hotspur academy coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst has heaped praise on Oliver Skipp.
The 23-year-old midfielder has not been a regular starter for Tottenham this season and he has had just four starts in the Premier League. However, Isaksson-Hurst believes that Skipp is an extremely talented player with a really high football IQ.
The former Tottenham coach worked with Skipp during his time as an academy coach at Tottenham between 2006 and 2012. He knows all about the youngster and he will hope that the player is handed more opportunities in the near future.
“Skipp was always one of the strongest in the group,” he told Football Insider.
“He had great technical skills, was very intelligent and has a really high football IQ, and a generally high IQ as well. He’s a very clever young man. He definitely stood out and worked really hard.
“Physically, he was good as well in terms of his size – not necessarily the quickest at the time, but he was always one of the strongest.
“I think he suits the style of play that Postecoglou is trying to implement. He’s very good on the ball and likes to play, so I think all modern-day managers who want to keep the ball need players who can play under pressure and play forward.”
Oliver Skipp needs more game time
It will be interesting to see if Tottenham are prepared to offer him more opportunities in the coming months. There is no doubt that he could be a useful central midfielder for them. The Tottenham academy graduate is still quite young and he will improve with coaching and experience. However, he needs to play more often at this stage of his career. Sitting on the bench at a big club is unlikely to benefit him.
Tottenham need a deeper squad in order to do well across multiple competitions, especially when they are in the UEFA Champions League next season. Players like Skipp could get more opportunities because the increased number of games and it will be interesting to see if the 23-year-old can establish himself as an important first team member for Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs will need more quality and depth in the middle of the park next season. If they can help Skipp fulfil his potential, it could save them millions in the transfer market.
