View: Tottenham ace Micky van de Ven showed Netherlands fans just how fast he is on debut
Netherlands supporters found out just how fast Micky van de Ven is during the Tottenham defender’s debut for his nation on Friday (October 13).
It has so far been an underwhelming international break for Spurs’ stars. Richarlison underperformed for Brazil, Son Heung-min was rested by South Korea and James Maddison offered very little for England against Australia.
However, for Van de Ven, this will be an international break to remember, as his wonderful start to the season saw him earn his first senior appearance for the Dutch national team.
The 22-year-old replaced Nathan Ake with 10 minutes to go with his side 2-0 down to France and, while he could do very little to change the outcome of the match, his individual performance will have left Dutch supporters very excited about the talent they have on their hands.
Throughout his time on the pitch, Van de Ven blocked one shot, made a tackle, won one of his two ground duels and impressively completed 100 per cent of his passes (12 out of 12), (Sofascore).
However, it was a moment that wouldn’t have been recorded by the stats that demonstrated just how effective Van de Ven can be.
As the ball was knocked forward by France, Van de Ven found himself in a foot race that, had he lost, could have resulted in France’s third.
Despite starting slightly behind his opponent, he showed tremendous pace and got to the ball first, preventing a goalscoring opportunity.
This is an attribute Van de Ven has displayed on many occasions so far this season as he has proven that he is a match for virtually every striker in the Premier League when it comes to pace, and it is this recovery speed that is crucial in allowing Tottenham to play a high line under Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs’ latest recruit in central defence has been a revelation since arriving in North London and it is a testament to the work done by the club’s recruitment team that they managed to bring the defender in under the noses of rival clubs.
According to stats by Wyscout, the 6’3 defender has recorded 6.01 successful defensive actions, won 61.76 per cent of his defensive duels and made 3.17 interceptions per 90 minutes of league action.
His heatmap showcases his ability to bring the ball forward and get involved in play in the opposition’s half, which is very useful for a side looking to dominate possession.
It is clear that both Tottenham and the Dutch national team have a serious talent on their hands, who has a bit of speed to boast too.
In other Tottenham news, John Wenham has been impressed with Tottenham Women’s start to the season, with their performances “chalk and cheese” compared to last year.