To get a sense of the low-maintenance way in which Oliver Skipp operates, a look at how he spent a couple of days last October is instructive.



On the Tuesday, Skipp was a substitute for Tottenham Hotspur against Barcelona in the Champions League. From his vantage point on the Wembley bench, he watched Lionel Messi rip to shreds the team he has supported since childhood. The following day, Skipp was back in action — this time returning to his old school to offer encouragement and advice as his friends and former classmates prepared for a match they had that weekend.



Messi one day, his mates the next. Later that month, Skipp made his debut away at West Ham United in the Carabao Cup. Early the following morning he was back in the classroom at the club’s training ground for a history A-level class.



A year on, Skipp, now 19, is back at his alma mater — this time wearing full club tracksuit as an established member of Tottenham’s first-team...