Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven played as a left-back for the Netherlands against Canada.
The Dutchman was one of the best signings in the Premier League in 2023. He was absolutely incredible for Spurs in his debut season and earned rave reviews from almost everyone who watched him.
Van de Ven mostly played as a centre-half for Tottenham, but his role for the Netherlands at the Euros could be slightly different.
Dutch media deliver verdict on Micky van de Ven at left-back
Micky van de Ven is naturally a central defender, but as he showed at the end of the season at Tottenham, he can play as a full-back as well.
The 22-year-old is good on the ball and possesses immense pace – he’s one of the fastest players the Premier League has ever seen.
Ronald Koeman called up Van de Ven to the Dutch squad for the Euros this summer, and the defender was given a start in the friendly against Canada on Thursday night.
The Netherlands boss went with a back-four, with Daley Blind and Matthijs de Ligt starting in the heart of the defence. Jeremie Frimpong played at right back and Van de Ven on the opposite side.
All four players did very well, and a few Dutch media outlets have delivered their verdicts on Van de Ven’s display. Interestingly, one of them thinks he could be a ‘serious option’ at left-back at the Euros.
Voetbal Premeur give Van de Ven a 7/10 rating and wrote: His first minutes were awkward, but Van de Ven recovered and occasionally thundered over the left flank.
“The defender of Tottenham Hotspur is a serious option for the base.”
Football Oranje gave him a 7.5/10 rating and wrote: “At left back, Van de Ven impressed with his pace and strength going forward.
“He was one of the standouts in the first half before fading as the second half went on. Still a positive performance from the defender.”
Van de Ven’s stats vs Canada will blow you away
Van de Ven’s performance last time would’ve surely boosted his chances of starting for the Netherlands at the Euros in Germany.
The Dutchman played the full 90 minutes at left-back against Canada on Thursday night and he was brilliant.
He had 77 touches of the ball and completed 45 of his 52 attempted passes, maintaining a very healthy 87 per cent passing accuracy. Van de Ven also created one chance.
Defensively, the Tottenham man won five of his six attempted duels, made three tackles, two clearances and an interception against the Candians. (SofaScore)
Koeman was really happy with Van de Ven and the Spurs star should be pleased with his display too.