Skipp: 'No-one will take things for granted'

Mature beyond his years, Oliver Skipp is taking a philosophical approach to current events.

Still just 19 years of age and living at home with his family, the period of social lockdown that came into effect in March to combat the spread of coronavirus turned the world of football – indeed, the world as a whole – upside down.

A boyhood Spurs fan and a product of our Academy system, ‘Skippy’ told us this week how much he’s relishing the squad’s return to training at Hotspur Way – Stage Two of the Premier League’s Return to Training Protocol is now underway as we work towards a return to action, when safe to do so.

But what did the young man from Welwyn Garden City learn during lockdown as he waited for this moment to come?

“It’s given me a lot of time to reflect on everything, really. People of my age, I’m not saying we’ve had it easy, but we’ve not had anything like this to deal with. It’s been different, a challenge,” admitted the midfielder, who has already racked up 20 senior appearances for us following his debut at West Ham in the Carabao Cup back in October, 2018.

“You can’t complain because no-one can do anything about the situation. Once you initially got over the fact that we were all in lockdown, it was a case of being creative, keeping yourself occupied. I actually believe it will help everyone in the long run. We’ve seen such a community spirit everywhere and I’m sure that will help everyone in the future because no-one will take for granted what they have in life. That has been the real eye-opener for me in these difficult times, to appreciate life and the fact that no-one can predict what is going to happen tomorrow.”

A bright lad who’s always shown a willingness to learn and develop, Skippy’s ploughed on through a hectic schedule in recent years. As he balanced his education with football training on his way to becoming a professional footballer, it wasn’t unfamiliar for him to be dropped off at the Training Centre after school, then hop straight onto the team coach to go and play for the Club in the FA Youth Cup. Less than 12 hours after his first team debut against the Hammers, he was back in the classroom at Hotspur Way studying for his A-Levels. So how has he coped with a slower pace to life during the world health crisis?

“It gave me the chance to try to find different things to do. I’ve been trying to learn some new skills, trying to keep busy,” he explained. “I’m still at home with my mum and dad, my sister as well. I was just trying not to argue all the time! It’s been good to spend time with my family, especially considering the amount of time we normally spend away during the season. Having said that, I’m raring to go now. There’s only so much of that you can have before you start pulling each other’s hair out!”