Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou was quick to praise one of his young defenders.
During the January transfer window, we saw 22-year-old Radu Dragusin sign for the club following interest from other parts of Europe.
But Postecoglou praised another 22-year-old centre-back in Friday’s pre-match press conference.
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
Micky van de Ven’s call has been all over the media this week, and the centre-back’s speed has been noted as the fastest player ever recorded in the Premier League.
And the popularity continues to come, this time from the hand of their Australian coach. Talking about the weekend’s game against Brighton
“There is a lot of evidence that shows what we have noticed before, which is that his speed and ability to recover were elite, of course, but it is not just about running fast. Football is much more than that, it is much more than He has to use it in the right way and I have been inspired by the way he adapts to Premier League football.
“He’s up against top strikers every week and his ability to use that speed in such an effective way in terms of his defensive work, I think has been outstanding for such a young man in his first year. Don’t forget before he came to us he’d only had one year in the Bundesliga, so there is so much more to come from him but I have been really pleased with just the way he has gone up to this level and used what he has as his strengths.”
Photo via GLYN KIRK/AFP Getty Images
Although Tottenham have the worst defensive record of any team in the top five, Van de Ven has been an outstanding performer this season.
Although he has been injured for a long time, his performances have been surprising, with the likes of Rio Ferdinand praising the Dutchman on his YouTube channel: “This Micky van de Ven, my brother, is the genuine deal. That’s the genuine deal. I saw his debut the other day with Holland. I’ve seen him up close twice this season,” he said in October.
And for his compatriot, Virgil van Dijk, he has done quite well as a defender in his first season in the Premier League.
According to statistics site FBref, every 90 minutes, the Tottenham player recorded more tackles, more blocks, and a lower percentage of errors that led to opposing shots.
Van de Ven’s career is still in its infancy, but it looks like we have a genuine player on our hands who can provide us with quality in defence for many years to come.
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