‘Outstanding’… Ange Postecoglou says 22-year-old Tottenham player has impressed him so much this season

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has not held back in singing the praise of one of his young defenders.

Over the January transfer window, we saw the 22-year-old Radu Dragusin join the club following interest from elsewhere in Europe.

But it is another 22-year-old centre-back who Postecoglou has been hailing in Friday’s pre-game press conference.

Micky van de Ven impresses Ange Postecgolou

The name of Micky van de Ven has been all over the media this week with the centre-back’s speed being well reported having been clocked as the fastest-ever recorded Premier League player.

And the recognition continues to stream in, this time from his Australian manager. Speaking ahead of the weekend’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Postecoglou said: “We kind of knew what we were getting from Micky from a physical perspective.

“There is plenty of evidence that showed what we have already seen that his speed and ability to recover was elite, for sure, but then it’s not just about running fast. Football is more than that, it’s more than just speed. You have to use that in the right way and I have been really impressed by how he’s adapted to Premier League football.

“He’s up against top strikers every week and his ability to use that speed in such an effective way in terms of his defensive work, I think has been outstanding for such a young man in his first year. Don’t forget before he came to us he’d only had one year in the Bundesliga, so there is so much more to come from him but I have been really pleased with just the way he has gone up to this level and used what he has as his strengths.”

How good is Micky van de Ven?

Despite Tottenham having the worst defensive record of any side in the top five, Van de Ven has been a standout performer this season.

Despite being injured for a lengthy period of time already, his performances have not gone under the radar with the likes of Rio Ferdinand taking to his YouTube channel to hail the Dutchman: “This Micky van de Ven, bro, he is the real deal. He’s the real deal. I saw his debut the other day for Holland. I’ve seen him right up close twice this season,” he said back in October.

And in comparison to his compartiot, Virgil van Dijk, he has faired pretty well for a defender in his first season in the Premier League.

According to statistics site FBref, per 90 minutes, the Tottenham man has registered more tackles, more blocks and a lower error percentage leading to opposition shots.

It is still very early days in Van de Ven’s career, but it looks like we have a real player on our hands who could offer us quality at the back for many years to come.