Jamie Carragher has shared what two annoyed Tottenham Hotspur fans told him concerning Micky van de Ven before the clash with Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Micky van de Ven has undoubtedly had a fantastic first season in the Premier League, forming an impressive partnership alongside Cristian Romero.
Ange Postecoglou suggested that he has not seen many players adapt as comfortably as van de Ven has. And at 23, there is little reason why the Dutchman cannot improve considerably in the years to come.
In fact, it seems that some felt that van de Ven had done enough to make the Premier League Team of the Season.
Jamie Carragher criticised for Micky van de Ven decision
Jamie Carragher had other ideas on Monday Night Football, selecting a back three which consisted of Virgil van Dijk and Arsenal pair William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
And speaking on Sky Sports (broadcast on 14/5; 20:05), Carragher shared that he took some stick for leaving van de Ven out of his side.
“When I picked my Premier League Team of the Season last night I was pulled by two Tottenham supporters coming in asking why I didn’t pick van de Ven, so it shows how highly they rate him,” he said.
Passing of the torch may be coming
You can definitely understand why Carragher selected the two Arsenal players, with the Gunners boasting, by far, the best defensive record in the division this season. Mikel Arteta’s men have conceded just 28 goals in 37 games, with David Raya already ensuring that he will win the Golden Glove.
Perhaps there is a greater question mark over whether van Dijk has been one of the best defenders in the league this season. But Liverpool have spent much of the campaign in the title race, and van Dijk has been a key part of their success again.
Van de Ven has definitely been one of the surprises of the season for how quickly he has adapted, and his pace makes him so valuable for Tottenham.
Certainly, he is likely to be a stalwart of these sorts of lineups in the years to come if his first season is a sign of what his future holds.