Tottenham: Oliver Skipp HotspurHQ Young Player of the Season

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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 02: Oliver Skipp of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 02, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /

As the end of the season awards continue at HotspurHQ, next up is Young Player of the Season. In our opinion, there were two standout candidates for this one; however, owing to his tremendous start to the season, Oliver Skipp takes the prize.

Before going any further, a nod to January signing Dejan Kulusevski seems appropriate, as since arriving, the Swede has been terrific. However, honoring Oliver Skipp in his debut season with the first team seems fitting.

Following a successful loan spell in 2020/21 at Norwich that saw Skipp win the Championship whilst named the team of the season, it was decided he would remain in North London for the forthcoming campaign.

The midfielder started from the off this season against reigning champions Manchester City, as Skipp played all 90 minutes in Tottenham’s opening day victory.

His performance and training impressed then-manager Nuno Espirito Santos, playing the next three games; however, he was dropped in two damming defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal as Nuno trialed a more attack-minded midfield.

Skipp returned to the starting Xi in back-to-back victories over Aston Villa and Newcastle. While the difficulty of opponents arguably lessened, his return coupled with a Tottenham win was no coincidence, awakening Spurs fans to his now growing importance in the side.

Besides omissions against Leeds, Vitesse, and Southampton – where he was an unused substitute – Skipp appeared in every other game for Tottenham until his season-ending injury in early February via an infection.

At the start of the season, some fans were concerned if the Englishman could make the step to Premier League football; however, he quickly put any worries to bed. While he operates predominantly as a ball-winning midfielder, his 90% pass completion rate is nothing to be snubbed at, demonstrating clear ability with the ball at his feet.

If any fans still question his ability, take refuge in the fact that the 14 times Skipp has started in the league this season, Spurs boast a win rate of 71%, with an impressive 2.2 points per game.