Oliver Skipp will be “banging on the first-team door soon” at Tottenham, according to the latest Secret Scout report.
The regular in the Daily Mail looks at players who are sitting outside of the public gaze.
18-year-old midfielder Skipp hasn’t made a first-team appearance for Tottenham yet, but he did make the bench for the Champions League game against Barcelona because of injuries.
However, the Mail report says, “It will not be long before Skipp, born in Welwyn Garden City, is banging on the first-team door in his own right and challenging the established internationals at the club.”
It added that he has “maturity beyond his years” and that he is “confident in confrontation”.
“There is no doubt that Skipp looks like a leader, cajoling and encouraging his team’s forward players to press as a unit as he backed them up from centre field.
“He is not selfish and looks to have enough sharpness to get to his opponents quickly.
“On this showing, he would remind the older generation of Tottenham watchers of a young Steve Perryman.”
OPINION
That’s some serious praise for a player who hasn’t made a first-team appearance yet. And Skipp might not have believed where he was when he found himself on the bench for the Champions League game against Barcelona. He didn’t get on the pitch but what an experience for an 18-year-old who’s used to playing in front of a handful of people in the Under-23s. Skipp might have got there by default, because of the numerous injuries that Pochettino had to contend with, but it shows how close he is to getting a shot at the big time. And he’s deserved it. Skipp has come up through the youth ranks at Tottenham but he already looks older than his 18 years both on and off the pitch. He’s learned a lot through training with the first-team since impressing on the US tour in pre-season. And there’s a feeling that he could be ready to make the step-up next season. To cap off an incredible month, he was also awarded the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for September.