Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven hails record-signing Dominic Solanke
Tottenham Hotspur record-signing Dominic Solanke has been enjoying life at White Hart Lane, as he has found some form of late.
The England international didn’t enjoy a happy start to his Spurs career, owing to an ankle injury sustained in the first game of the Premier League season. Now fully fit, he is becoming a potent threat up front with not only his physicality and movement but with his ability to link play by dropping deep into midfield.
Dominic Solanke is yet to start banging goals left, right and centre for his new club. He has scored twice in six Premier League outings thus far. Regardless of firing blank in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over West Ham United on Saturday, the 27-year-old was able to impress one of his teammates in Micky van de Ven.
The English striker arrived in a £65 million deal from Bournemouth, so there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to deliver the goods consistently for Ange Postecoglou’s side. However, what the centre-forward is doing apart from scoring goals has really caught the attention of Van de Ven.
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Speaking to the media on Wednesday ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League encounter against AZ Alkmaar, Van de Ven admitted Solanke’s work ethic and stamina has impressed him.
“Dom has been unbelievable since he joined, he is working so hard. Even as a striker you see offensive, defensive – he keeps running the whole game and I am watching him and thinking ‘phwoar, how are you even doing this, keeping sprinting over and over again’. Also he is getting his goals and his assists and hopefully he can keep going like this,” Van de Ven said in the press conference (h/t Football London).
Solanke has made quite an impression at the Hotspur Way. He may not be scoring goals but his work rate, pressing, link-up and physicality are making Big Ange’s side so much fluid and potent in attack. The Reading-born talent has given the Lilywhites a focal point in attack, something they lacked throughout the last season following Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich.
Of course, he has been brought in to fill the Harry Kane-shaped void in the team, and with creative talents such as Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Son Heung-min around him, Solanke is bound to score goals for Spurs at a consistent rate.
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The ex-Liverpool man is contributing to the team in different ways and it is only a matter of time before he starts smashing goals. For now, those inside the club including our gaffer appear extremely happy with Solanke’s outfit.
