Ange Postecoglou makes ‘unbelievable’ World Cup claim about Tottenham star Micky Van de Ven
Ange Postecoglou thinks Tottenham defender Micky Van de Ven will be a star for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup.
Van de Ven made his debut for the Dutch national side back in 2023 and now has 17 caps for his country, with one goal to his name.
The defender has started five of the last seven games for the Netherlands and will expect to be in their starting line-up this summer.
However, despite being deployed as a centre-back for Spurs, Postecoglou thinks that Van de Ven will be used elsewhere by Ronald Koeman in North America.
Ange Postecoglou raves about ‘phenomenal’ Van de Ven
Tottenham bought Van de Ven back in 2023, during Postecoglou’s first summer at the club, and he has proved to be an outstanding signing.
The centre-back has battled with injury issues at times, often suffering from his own explosive pace, but he has also regularly shown his quality.
This season, Van de Ven has scored seven goals across all competitions for Spurs, as well as being crucial to their defensive work.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football, Postecoglou, who was eventually sacked by the Lilywhites at the end of last season, was full of praise for the Dutch international.
The former Spurs boss believes that Van de Ven will be unbelievable at the World Cup this summer, despite the fact that he will probably be playing left-back.
Postecoglou said: “He (Van de Ven) can be as good as he wants to be. You watch him at the World Cup. I reckon they’ll play him left-back and he’ll be unbelievable.
“Once he gets going, technically he’s good, and his ability to cover ground is phenomenal. You’d set him up against any striker in the world without any fear that he was going to get outmuscled, and definitely not outrun.”
Why would Van de Ven play left-back?
Ever since joining Tottenham, Van de Ven has played as a centre-back for the North London side, often alongside Cristian Romero in the heart of defence.
However, at international level under Koeman, the 24-year-old is often deployed at left-back, which is why it would be no surprise to see him there at the World Cup.
The reason Van de Ven is shifted out wide is partly down to his ability to play there, as his pace and power, combined with his on-the-ball talent, allow him to perform at full-back.
The Netherlands are also fairly stacked at centre-back, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Jurrien Timber, Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake, so it allows Koeman to get as much quality in his side as possible.
Check out Football Insider for the latest updates and insight into what is going on at Tottenham.