Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has admitted he had no idea who one player was before he signed for Spurs.
The Englishman hit the ground running under Ange Postecoglou after his move from Leicester City in the summer of 2023. He was one of the best players in the Premier League then.
Maddison struggled in the second half of the season, but one of his teammates was excellent for Tottenham in almost every game he played.
However, Maddison had no clue who he was before meeting him.
James Maddison shares what he privately told Micky van de Ven at Tottenham
Tottenham signed Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg in the same window that they signed Maddison.
The Dutchman wasn’t a popular name in England. He had only played 41 senior games for Wolfsburg in Germany, but he did impress during that time.
Van de Ven caught the eye of Tottenham’s scouts and then Postecoglou.
Spurs made it a priority to sign the Dutchman in 2023, and after weeks of hard negotiations, they sealed the deal for £43 million including add-ons (BBC).
That has proved to be a bargain as Van de Ven has been absolutely incredible for Tottenham. He was arguably their best player in the 2023/24 season.
Like everyone else, Maddison was blown away by Van de Ven too.
The Englishman has now admitted that he actually had no idea who the Dutchman was before Spurs signed him, but he has been really impressed since.
Maddison has further claimed that he has been trying to find weaknesses in Van de Ven’s game since the start of the season, but he just can’t see any.
He said on talkSPORT (28 May 2024, 5:11 pm): “He is rapid, he is absolutely rapid. I actually said to him as well when he came in, not straightaway obviously, but after a little bit, I said, I didn’t realise how good he was and how fast he was,
“‘You know what? I had never heard of you’. I had never heard of Micky van de Ven. I would never say that at the start, but once I realised he was a top player, I couldn’t believe we had signed this centre-back that I was seeing.
“I was thinking: ‘Right then, what’s his weakness?’ He is good on the ball, he is good in the air, he is tall, he is strong, he is rapid… And, I am thinking, ‘Where’s the weakness then?’ And, to be fair, I am still looking.”
READ MORE: BBC pundit shares worrying reason why Micky van de Ven could leave Tottenham
Van de Ven broke all-time Premier League record in his debut season
It’s never easy for players to come into the Premier League and hit the ground running.
We have seen several world-class footballers take time to adapt to the physicality and intensity of the English game, but Van de Ven was ready from day one.
The Dutchman has looked comfortable all season. Almost nothing has bothered him, and along with his exceptional performances for Tottenham, he smashed a Premier League record as well.
In February, Van de Ven clocked a top speed of 37.38 km/h (23.23 mph). That is the fastest speed ever recorded in the Premier League since they began collecting data.
Van de Ven has proved to be a terrific signing for Tottenham, and the fact that he is still only 23 means he will only get better in the coming years.