John Wenham: New Tottenham star Micky van de Ven reminds me of Arsenal ace
Tottenham News is delighted to welcome John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose as our exclusive columnist. Each week, he’ll be giving his expert insight on the biggest talking points at Spurs…
John Wenham believes Micky van de Ven has had a similar impact on Tottenham as William Saliba had on Arsenal, with both players allowing their teams “to play in a different way.”
Spurs signed Van de Ven from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in the summer for a reported fee of £43million (Sky Sports News, 8 August).
The 22-year-old has made a fantastic start to his Premier League career and recently got his first goal for the club, scoring the winner during a 1-0 victory at Luton Town.
And Wenham has been extremely impressed with the impact the Dutch international has had on his new side and has drawn comparisons to Saliba.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Wenham said: “Micky van de Ven allows us to play in a different way, and it reminds me of when William Saliba came into the Arsenal team and suddenly, they could push much further up the pitch.
“We can now play a different style of football because we have a pacey centre-back who can make some great recovery challenges.
“This is something we’ve not really had at Tottenham since Kyle Walker was in the side, and it is fantastic because having that pace can get you out of big trouble.
“I think his winning goal away at Luton Town really elevates his profile in the squad and maybe to people outside looking in, they might now be thinking, ‘not only is this guy quick and powerful, but he’s also becoming a bit of a leader in the team as well, popping up with that vital goal and then going on to keep a clean sheet.’”
In other Tottenham news, one Spurs star could soon be dropped by his country after a string of underwhelming performances.