Oliver Skipp has revealed that he has a good relationship with Jose Mourinho and that the Tottenham boss knows exactly which buttons to push at the right moments to get a response from his players.
It is clear that Mourinho rates Skipp highly, with the Tottenham boss even claiming last season that the midfielder could go on to be the future club captain.
The Portuguese coach admitted this week that he has been impressed with the 20-year-old’s performances for Norwich this season but insisted that Spurs will not be recalling him as completing the season in the Championship will be beneficial for his development.
When asked about the words of praise from the Spurs boss, Skipp told The Evening Standard: “It’s always nice to get compliments from anyone but from him, it’s even sweeter.
“But I’ve still got so much to prove. I need to keep pushing, so one day those comments turn into a reality, not just words.”
The youngster also revealed that the 58-year-old treats him with the same respect that he does superstars like Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris.
The midfielder said: “That’s the thing about him, he treats everyone with the same respect.
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“I’m not Harry Kane or Hugo Lloris, but he still gave me the respect that I could go and talk to him. In terms of his man-management, he is brilliant. He knows when to push someone or when to give them some love.
“He’s messaged me a few times this season actually, which is a really nice touch, just to show he’s watching and aware of what I’m doing. He’s been really positive.”
Skipp did get a few appearances under his belt last season, including coming on for a brief cameo in Tottenham’s 2-1 win in the North London Derby back in July.
The youngster admitted that it meant a lot to him as a lifelong Spurs fan and also revealed that he continues to keep a close eye on the Lilywhites despite being in Carrow Road this season.
He added: “It’s stuff like that (coming on against Arsenal). It was a really big moment and no matter what happens now I can always say I played in a north London derby – and won.
“I wouldn’t say I can sit back and relax (during Spurs games). I’ve been a Spurs fan all my life, so you can’t take that out of me! If you’re there every week, you’re involved, you know what’s going on.
“Now it’s interesting, I can watch with fresh eyes. But I’m still really nervous, still hoping they can win every game.”
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One of the apprehensions that some Spurs fans had with Mourinho when he arrived was the fear that he would not be willing to trust younger players and would prefer working with tried and tested talent. However, the Tottenham boss has shown already that he is more than willing to hand players opportunities. Not only has he raved about the likes of Skipp but he has also handed minutes to the likes of Tanganga, White and Clarke.
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