Oliver Skipp
Oliver Skipp has been speaking about his new five-year deal at Tottenham Hotspur and has admitted that the pelvic injury that has kept him out of action for two months has actually been dogging him all season. The 21-year-old academy product has put pen to paper on a bumper new contract until 2027 following a sparkling breakthrough season at the north London club, with 28 appearances in a Spurs shirt, which came after an eye-catching loan spell in the last campaign which saw Skipp lift the Championship title with Norwich.
Oliver Skipp said: “You would never have thought that that young boy walking through at six or seven and then signing at U9s, you’d get to this stage so I’m delighted to sign this new deal. It’s something I’m very grateful for. I think it means a lot when you’ve grown up at this club. My whole family support the club and it means a lot when you step out in front of the crowd. I’ve missed that feeling obviously in the last few months. That’s something I’m pushing to feel that again.”
football.london understands that Skipp is still struggling to recover from his pelvic injury and is no closer to a return to action. The young midfield explained that the problem has been dogging him all season and then worsened two months ago.
Oliver Skipp said: “I don’t know if you remember the third or fourth game of the season, with England, I came back and I think it was the Crystal Palace game so it dates quite far back in terms of I’ve been having a problem, but I’ve been managing to get through it. Come the international break I had an injection which other players have had in the past and the hope was that the original pain would go and that’s not been the case. There’s been various times when I’ve felt like I was getting there but with the nature of this injury it hasn’t materialised that I’ve come back yet. It’s been a really frustrating time for me. The most difficult part has been the unknown. When I was out before you knew you had a set time, two months etc, but with this one it was just about being patient and it’s something that happens in football careers and I’ll definitely make sure that when I’m back I’ll be right.”
Skipp has been desperate to continue to learn despite his injury and admitted that he has still been involved in meetings with the team as he soaks up the tactical knowledge imparted by Antonio Conte, who is a big admirer of the player.
Oliver Skipp said: “In those few months I had with the boss when he first came in I was really starting to improve and to understand his philosophy and I think you can see that in the team, everyone implementing his ideas. I think that he’s a coach who will push you and that really helps me in terms of I’m someone who always wants to be going to the next level, the next target. So I think I was playing well but there is still a lot of improvement that can definitely be had. Even when I’ve been injured I’ve been in all of the meetings and watching training, so you’re still, although you’re not out on the grass, you’re still understanding the concepts he wants, the philosophy and I think it’s always something I’ve tried to do, take on more information. Ok maybe when you’re a player maybe you try to keep things simple in your mind at times as well, but when you’ve had this opportunity that I’m really interested in in the tactics and understanding what he wants from various players on the pitch.”
Conte rejected the prospect of allowing Skipp to rest and fully heal his injury when that was suggested by football.london this month, stating that the player needed a closer target to work towards. Skipp appeared to hint, when asked about the next steps for him, that pre-season is set to be an important period for him.
Oliver Skipp said: “The obvious thing is to get fit. That will happen and then when I’m back it’s to push on from that first half of the season I had. I feel like there’s a lot more and the next level I can get to and I’m really looking forward to showing that when I’m back. I think pre-season will be massive for me again to make sure I’m 100 per cent right for the start of the next season and to really push on again.”
