Micky van de Ven claims the first thing Ange Postecoglou said to him when he arrived from Wolfsburg in the summer was to trust his own ability.
Van de Ven arrived at Spurs as a relative unknown, with the North London club signing him on the back of just one good season in the Bundesliga.
It is fair to say that some Tottenham fans at the time would have preferred the club to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba over the Dutchman.
However, just six Premier League games into his Spurs career, the 22-year-old already looks like an inspired signing, with his performances so far evoking comparisons with Spurs legend Jan Vertonghen.
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 2: Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor on September 2, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Rich Linley – CameraSport via Getty Images)
What Postecoglou said to Van de Ven when he signed
Van de Ven’s centre-back partnership with Cristian Romero has all the makings of a solid one, with the Dutchman’s calmness appearing to balance out the Argentine’s aggression.
The former Wolfsburg man has now revealed the way in which Postecoglou gave him confidence when he first arrived at the club.
When asked what was the first thing the Australian coach said to him, Van de Ven told the Premier League’s official channel: “Just do your thing. Trust yourself. We trust that you can do it. Otherwise, we would have never brought you here.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Postecoglou deserves a lot of credit for the way the newcomers have settled in at Tottenham. The 58-year-old has tried his best to remove any pressure or any fear of failure, which has enabled the likes of Vicario, Van de Ven and Udogie to showcase their best.
Have something to tell us about this article?
