Mauricio Pochettino comments on his plan for Oliver Skipp

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Tottenham Hotspur handed a first Premier League start to Oliver Skipp on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has told The Mirror that he didn’t want to tell Oliver Skipp about his first Premier League start the day before Saturday’s meeting with Burnley.

Spurs went into Saturday’s game having drawn 1-1 at Barcelona in midweek, sending them into the knockout stages of the Champions League, but it was back to the bread-and-butter of the Premier League on Saturday.

Burnley were the visitors to Wembley Stadium, and it looked like being a frustrating afternoon as the Clarets stood firm until Christian Eriksen struck an injury-time winner for Spurs.

Spurs were in celebratory mood after a third straight Premier League win, and they did it with a new full debutant in the side in midfielder Skipp.

After a substitute appearance against Southampton earlier this month, Skipp was handed a first Premier League start on Saturday, featuring in midfield alongside Moussa Sissoko.

An England youth international, the 18-year-old looks set for a bright future, and only has to look at Harry Winks for inspiration under Pochettino.

Pochettino has now spoken about playing Skipp against Burnley, suggesting that he only told the teenager about his first start an hour or so before the kick off, believing that telling him the day before would have added some nervousness, with Spurs having a very clear plan for youngsters and their debuts.

“We did not want to tell him one day before because when they are younger and about to make their debut, if you say it one day before they start playing the game before it starts – sometimes twice,” said Pochettino. “They arrive to play the game and they are tired because they spend so much time thinking.”

“In our case we believe it is best when a player is to make his debut to tell him one hour, one hour 15, before we are going to play. You don’t have time to think so much, you prepare for the game and you play with freedom,” he added.