Oliver Skipp has admitted that he used to play as a central defender while coming through the ranks at Tottenham before being moved into midfield.
Skipp has been a revelation at Spurs this season since returning from his successful loan spell at Norwich City.
Antonio Conte seems to have taken to the 21-year-old already, with the Italian stating two weeks ago that the youngster has all the attributes to become a top midfielder.
The England Under-21 international has not just demonstrated his engine and tenacity off the ball but he has been extremely tidy in possession, even occasionally showing his ability to drive forward with the ball.
Skipp also possesses exceptional defensive awareness for such a young player and he has now hinted at where it came from, admitting he was a central defender growing up.
He told in an interview with the club’s official social media channel: “In the youth teams, I used to play centre-back quite a bit but then I stopped growing, I think. So… (Laughs)”
“I never ventured too far forward but in the academy, they were always keen for everyone to try, especially when you’re young.
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“(They make you play in) a lot of different positions to make you capable in all of them, really. And I think it helps your game if you have played different positions because you can see the other aspects.”
In the interview, Skipp also opened up on his obsession with football from a young age and picked his tackle on Eden Hazard in Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Chelsea in 2018 as his favourite.
Watch Skipp’s full interview below:
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Playing in different positions from a young age certainly leads to a better tactical understanding of the game, which Skipp evidently possesses.
The fact that he is one of the first names in Conte’s teamsheet suggests that the midfielder is capable of taking complex instructions on board.
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