Video
Skipp is making his mark at City
Tottenham loan signing Oliver Skipp is already a key figure for Norwich City - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Tottenham loanee Olly Skipp is living up to Jose Mourinho’s billing, says Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke.
Skipp is earmarked as a future Spurs’ captain by Mourinho, and the 20-year-old has already emerged as a key figure in the Canaries’ Championship promotion push.
The England Under-21 ace will equal his number of league appearances for his parent club if he features on Wednesday at Luton Town.
Farke is in no doubt Skipp has got to grips with the second tier after some testing early games during his season long loan move.
“He got lots of praise at the start of the season but even then I felt there was some small tactical mistakes he could improve,” said the City chief. “We worked with him on an individual basis, showed him some footage.
"Now we almost take it for granted he plays without mistakes and he is solid but I am full of praise for him.
"To prove this for such a young lad in really his first full season, where he plays every three days, in the toughest league in the world is outstanding. He has also had to adapt his positioning slightly in the last two games with Alex Tettey in the side.
Most Read
- 1 Stunning images capture Cromer in the snow
- 2 Norfolk's first mass Covid vaccination centre to open in food court
- 3 Floral tributes left to driver killed in A148 crash
- 4 'Anti-social rider' has quadbike seized in the snow
- 5 Jailed in Norfolk: Burglars, domestic abuse and threats to kill
- 6 Driver escapes serious injury after 4x4 flips onto roof
- 7 Vaccines roll-out to move on to over 70s
- 8 IN PICTURES: The businesses still going strong in lockdown
- 9 Are you in our Norfolk school photos from the 1970s?
- 10 Mass coronavirus vaccination centre opens in Norwich today
“Alex is in the deeper role and he has more responsibility to drive our game forward, to be composed and in this task he is doing what I want.
"With his character and how he behaves within the group it underlines why Jose said he could be a future Tottenham captain. He has this pedigree.”
Skipp had forged a decent pairing with Lukas Rupp but the German is now out for the next fortnight with hamstring problems.
Farke however does expect Kenny McLean (knee) and Kieran Dowell (ankle) to provide extra midfield competition before Christmas.
“Now it looks like we can bring Kieran back to team training at the end of the week and then he would be ready to go around Christmas, in terms of game fitness," said Farke.
“With Kenny, the worst case scenario was he would be out four or five months. That is not the case now. We will try to handle this meniscus injury in a conservative way.
"If so, he is back around Christmas. If it needed a surgery then it would be small and maybe another six weeks. So worst case scenario is the end of January.”
