Micky van de Ven has drawn a parallel between how he had to silence the doubters through his professional journey and how Tottenham Hotspur have had to do the same this season.
Van de Ven’s rise has been quite dramatic over the past couple of years as the centre-back was playing in the Dutch second-tier for Volendam just a little over two years ago.
The 22-year-old revealed that not all the coaches believed in him from a young age and that he once even considered having some other profession to fall back on before his dad convinced him to keep going.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 26: Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Vitality Stadium on August 26, 2023 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images)
The centre-back told Yahoo Sport: “I like to prove people wrong, yeah it is true. My dad (Marcel) helped me also a lot at Volendam. It was a difficult situation for me because when people say they don’t trust you when you are 17-years-old, maybe you have to look for work or something.
“You have to have a second choice if you can’t make it to be a professional football player and you have to switch. I said to my dad, ‘maybe I have to work,’ and he was like, ‘no! Trust me. One day a person will come, you will get your chance and grab it’.
“So, I kept working, pushing, pushing, pushing and there was the chance and I grabbed it. Also when I came from Volendam and went to Wolfsburg everybody said the step was too big, but I wanted to prove people wrong, so that is the mentality.”
Much like Van de Ven himself, Tottenham have also had to prove critics wrong this season, with some pundits suggesting that the Lilywhites would even fail to struggle to finish in the top half following Harry Kane’s departure (Sky Sports).
The former Wolfsburg man admitted that there was a desire in the dressing room to prove that Spurs very much still belong at the top table.
Van de Ven wants to prove people wrong at Spurs
When asked about the negativity surrounding Tottenham before the start of the season, the defender said: “It is true because what I saw before I joined Spurs was that people were really negative about Spurs.
“Of course, Kane was maybe going to leave and he scored every year 30+ goals, so yeah amazing striker, but we were there to prove them wrong. I think we are doing good now, but it is just the beginning. We need to keep pushing.
“We want to be at the highest level all season, so I don’t know where it will end but we want the best.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While Kane is the best centre-forward in world football, it can often be good for the dynamic of the dressing room when a big superstar leaves. The players no longer look for anyone to bail them out and have all stepped up a notch following the England captain’s departure.
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