Micky van de Ven has been compared to Jan Vertonghen after his incredible scoring form for Tottenham this season.
Van de Ven’s goal in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday was a thing of beauty.
Starting from the edge of his own penalty area, he carried the ball into the opposition box, gliding past several Copenhagen players, before firing home.
While Xavi Simons was Man of the Match on the night, football lovers will be talking about Van de Ven’s brilliance for years to come.
Micky van de Ven climbing centre-back rankings
His brace in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Everton last month saw Van de Ven become Tottenham’s current top scorer.
MORE SPURS STORIES
Meanwhile, the Dutch international’s Champions League goal has ensured the title remains his for the time being.
As a result, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham believes Van de Ven can continue to make his mark on English football, now that he’s developed that goalscoring edge.
“This is a guy who’s six foot four, athletic. He should be getting six, seven goals a season. He should be looking at Gabriel [Magalhaes] and [William] Saliba and thinking, I want to be up there with those guys,” Wenham said.
“But now he’s scoring all sorts of goals as well, which is the beauty of it. The goal against Copenhagen was a real magical moment in the stadium and sort of really continues building his profile as one of the best defenders in English football.
“He’s having a similar season to like that year Vertonghen had when he scored those goals, and Vertonghen was one of the best centre-backs Tottenham had in the Premier League era, so hopefully Van de Ven continues to grow and get to that level as well.”
Thomas Frank cannot keep relying on Micky van de Ven to score
While Van de Ven is netting at an insane rate, Spurs attackers need to start sharing the goalscoring load.
Richarlison netted in Spurs’ 2-2 draw to Manchester United for the first time since their draw to Brighton in September.
However, Randal Kolo Muani’s recent injury will come as a huge blow, given that his hold-up and link-up play enabled his teammates to get into the game.
Still, their goalscoring numbers are worrisome:
Meanwhile, Joao Palhinha and Van de Ven, two defensive-minded players, have 10 between them.
While it is true that the best teams score goals from anywhere on the pitch, Spurs attackers need to carry their load.