Oliver Skipp: 'Now I start again'

Oliver Skipp is ready to turn over a new leaf and prove his potential all over again in 2019/20.

A star in our Academy set-up in recent seasons, the central midfielder stepped up into the senior spotlight this time last year with some impressive performances on our pre-season tour and went on to make 12 competitive first team appearances over the course of last term.

Now back in training under the watchful eye of Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching team, the 18-year-old is taking nothing for granted as he bids to stay in the picture and continue honing his craft alongside our senior stars.

“All I can do is try to push on,” said the Welwyn Garden City-born youngster. “Okay, I’ve been able to show a bit of what I can do last season but now I start again, make sure I have the same attitude.

“You have to show the same level of desire and not rest on your laurels, keep going and hopefully improve on last season. That’s what I’m looking to do and that’s why this pre-season is massive again for me to hopefully get another chance to impress the manager.”

Asked how he feels his experiences last season have positioned him this time around, ‘Skippy’ underlined: “You can never be satisfied with what you’ve done. You always have to look forward.

“This is a new challenge and hopefully I can build on the momentum I gained last season. You have to push on, impress again, have the same attitude and hopefully carry on and build again.”

Skipp was named on the bench in seven Champions League matches last season and was part of the travelling squad for the final in Madrid.

Understandably, as a young player learning his trade, he relished that level of exposure: “It was a massive season for the Club – imagine that’s your first season in senior football! It’s crazy!” he said.

“Some players would have to wait years for that experience, so it was brilliant to be around a Champions League Final, soaking up all that information.”

Explaining what he learned about managing his emotions in high-profile situations off the back of that epic European adventure, he added: “You can’t get too high in the good times because you know in football a negative could be just around the corner. If you are in a bad place, a couple of good training sessions or a good performance can change it all around.

“It’s important that you don’t let it get to you and don’t constantly overthink things. Staying level-headed is a good asset to have and taking everything in your stride is the best way.”