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.
Skipp is still one for the future at Tottenham
While there was no question Skipp had gained Nuno’s trust when serial-winner Antonio Conte replaced the Portuguese manager, Tottenham fans harboured concerns this could bring an end to the midfielder’s run in the side.
Traditionally, Conte has favoured experience over youth, and whilst there’s no doubt he’s a world-class manager, developing young players isn’t his forte. However, Conte has been vocal in his praise for Skipp and stated his frustrations at being unable to utilise the midfielder for the run-in at N17.
This is reinforced with Conte’s team selections when before Skipp’s injury, picking the Englishman 10 of the 12 games he was available, helping the formation of a stern partnership with fellow midfielder Pierre-Emile Hoijberg.
With the January signing of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, there is no guarantee Skipp will return as a starter next season. The partnership of Bentancur and Hoijberg has served Spurs well since February, with both players playing a significant role in Tottenham achieving a top-four finish.
Having said that, with Premier League, Champions League, and cup football on offer at Tottenham next season, there will be plenty of minutes to go around, and there’s no doubt if Skipp remains injury-free, he will surely feature heavily.
At just 21, Skipp is still at the early stages of a so-far promising career, and despite being sidelined for a large chunk of the season, the club’s hierarchy recognise his potential, tying the midfielder to a new five year deal in April, which keeps him at the club until 2027.
Skipp is back in training, and he will likely return for a full pre-season which should set him up nicely for the upcoming campaign, with fans eager to see his development furthered in 2022/23.
If he can rediscover his early-season form, his work rate and ability would soon make him a favourite of Conte’s, with him already winning the hearts of Spurs fans by being one of our own. Whilst his season was cut short his hard work throughout the start of Spurs campaign earned him HotspurHQ’s Young Player of the Season award.