In an attempt to find a winning formula, Ruud van Nistelrooy has tinkered his Leicester line-up a number of times this season.
One Foxes star who hasn’t received much of a chance though, is summer signing Oliver Skipp.
Leicester signed Skipp for £20m from Tottenham Hotspur back in August, the midfielder, however, hasn’t been able to light up the King Power Stadium as of yet.
Skipp has only managed three starts since the arrival of Van Nistelrooy, with the Dutchman opting for the likes of Boubakary Soumare and Harry Winks in midfield.
With Skipp failing to make an impact at Leicester thus far, it may come as a surprise to some that he was once very highly rated by one of football’s most iconic managers.
Jose Mourinho was a big fan of Oliver Skipp at Tottenham
Skipp worked under a series of managers during his time in north London, one of whom was Jose Mourinho.
The English midfielder wouldn’t feature much under the Premier League icon, spending the majority of Mourinho’s Spurs tenure on loan at Championship side Norwich City during the 20/21 season.
Despite his short stint with the ex-Chelsea boss, Skipp made his mark, with Mourinho singing the praises of 24-year-old in November 2020.
Speaking on Skipp signing a new deal at Spurs, Mourinho said (via The Express):
“I’m really happy,” said the then Tottenham boss. “Everybody in the club is, his team-mates are, I am and Skippy is or not he wouldn’t sign the contract. I think he’s genuinely Tottenham’s future.
“He’s one of these players by human quality, by personality, he is one of these kids that I have no doubt he will be an important player for Tottenham.
“Sometimes coaches are selfish and I told him that. I never told him I want him to go on loan, I always told him I wanted him to stay here because that’s the selfish perspective of a coach who wants the best possible squad.
“In his mind he wants to go on loan, [for] six months, the whole season. He feels that he needs that, I also feel that would be good for his evolution, so maybe that is the direction we go.
“I think he can be more than a player, he can be a future captain here. Hugo, Harry.
“I see this kid being one day a future captain here by his character, by his personality. I feel really happy that he signed.”
Van Nistelrooy must take note of Skipp praise
Despite Skipp’s transfer has been deemed a disaster by some, his lack of opportunities under Van Nistelrooy must also be considered.
The midfielder’s time under the Dutchman has largely been spent on the subs bench, only racking up a total of 295 minutes since Van Nistelrooy’s appointment.
| Oliver Skipp stats under Ruud van Nistelrooy | Apps | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| Premier League | 8 | – | – | 265′ |
| FA Cup | 1 | – | – | 30′ |
Having forked out a hefty £20m fee for the Englishman, the Leicester boss may be wise to hand the 24-year-old a proper chance at the King Power, with Skipp impressing under Steve Cooper at points.