In the aftermath of Saturday’s victory over the Reds by Tottenham, the excellent Dutch defender spoke with FourFourTwo.
Throughout Saturday’s game against Liverpool, the Spurs fans could be heard singing the lyrics to “Give It Up” by KC & The Sunshine Band as they chanted Micky van de Ven’s name. The song was used for Rafael van der Vaart, a fellow Dutchman and fan favorite, in the early 2010s, and despite Van de Ven’s short time at the club, the Spurs faithful have already taken to him.
This past Saturday, his song reverberated throughout the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s bleachers following a number of defensive clearances, either thanks to quick interceptions or after the central defender outran opponents while displaying one of his most distinguishing qualities: his lightning-quick speed.
When advancing from the back, Van de Ven also exudes serenity and has already forged a strong bond with Cristian Romero. The Dutch defense instinctively retreats when the Argentine makes a forward run, and vice versa. They appear to be in tune with one another.
Van de Ven said to FourFourTwo, “We can feel what the other one is doing. “He needs to know that I have his back if he moves forward. And if I move ahead, I’ll be sure that he will protect me. We are only in alignment on the field because of the feeling we have for one another. It’s almost automatic.
Spurs had a strong start on Saturday, but Liverpool played well in what would turn out to be a difficult match for the referees to call.
He stated, “Liverpool has a tremendously excellent team. “I believe we were terrific with the ball, and our positional play was excellent. I believe we were evenly matched, and we each had some chances. However, I believe Liverpool believed we were a different kind of Spurs team than they were accustomed to facing.
