Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has become a fan favourite at White Hart Lane
Tottenham Hotspur will return to Europa League action when they host AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night, looking to continue their fine form.
The north London outfit made it six wins in their last seven games with a dominant 4-1 win over cross-town rivals West Ham United at the weekend in the Premier League, while Ange Postecoglou’s side have also won both of their games in the Europa League against Qarabag and Ferencvaros. Now, Spurs will fancy their chances of beating AZ Alkmaar at home.
Ahead of the continental clash, Ange Postecoglou spoke highly about defender Micky van de Ven. The Tottenham boss said that the Dutchman is “growing all the time” following a fantastic debut season in England.
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Born in Alkmaar and having come through the young ranks in Dutch football, Micky van de Ven had joined Big Ange in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. So, it is quite obvious for the reporters to ask the Spurs gaffer about the left-footed defender, who came through the youth ranks at Volendam before moving to Germany’s VfL Wolfsburg in 2021.
“With Micky, fair to say he developed late but very quickly,” Big Ange said in his presser (h/t Football London).
“Because I think even at Volendam, there was a period when they were unsure about him.
“You could tell once physically he grew and the kind of player he was, his journey went very quickly at Volendam and the year he had in the Bundesliga he adjusted really well.
“For us last year he was outstanding in his first year in the Premier League. Obviously, he had an injury which set him back a little bit but he’s growing all the time, maturing and I think he will become more of an influence at national team level.
“He’s now played a couple of games at left-back, left centre-back. The more he plays with the national team will give him even more belief but he’s going very well and I’m sure he’ll be an important member of our team but also the Dutch international team.”
Van de Ven largely impressed across his maiden season in the Premier League following a £43million move from Wolfsburg in 2023. The Netherlands international has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at N17 for his energy, work rate, recovery pace, passion and decision-making. He has also bagged two assists against Everton and Manchester United this season, using his marauding runs from the back to great effect.
The 23-year-old is a star in the making for Tottenham. When Van de Ven was ruled out for months with a hamstring injury, Spurs suffered a lot. This just goes to show how crucial the defender is to Postecoglou’s high-pressing, aggressive and intense system.
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At 23, Spurs’ No.37 is still relatively young and far away from hitting his prime years, so it will be thrilling to watch how Van de Ven develops further under Postecoglou at our club.
