Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Micky van de Ven will be Tottenham Hotspur’s new captain.
Previous skipper Cristian Romero left the club earlier this month, joining Atletico Madrid in a £34.1million ($46m) move.
De Zerbi confirmed during Friday’s press conference that Van de Ven will be joined in the club’s new-look leadership group by Pedro Porro, who will be vice-captain. Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray will serve as third, fourth and fifth captains, respectively.
The captaincy for the Netherlands international follows him committing his future to the north London club with a new long-term contract earlier in August.
He joined Tottenham in August 2023 from German side Wolfsburg in a deal worth £43m including add-ons and has featured 96 times since then, helping the side win the Europa League in 2025 under Ange Postecoglou and ending a run of 17 years without a trophy.
Romero was named captain by De Zerbi’s predecessor Thomas Frank last summer.
The Argentina international attracted criticism last season for two red cards on the pitch and more than one apparent swipe at Spurs’ ownership.
Van de Ven will miss Spurs’ opening game of the new Premier League season against Brentford on Saturday, with Porro and Pape Matar Sarr also set to be absent.
Van de Ven excelled with responsibility
Van de Ven wore the armband for the majority of De Zerbi’s season-saving seven-game stint last term, after Cristian Romero was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury sustained in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. In his absence, Van de Ven, whom De Zerbi has talked up as the best left-sided centre-back in Europe, stepped up and played the best and most consistent stretch of the season.
Playing under De Zerbi not only seemed to liberate him as a footballer, gaining more responsibility as a ball-player, but also allowed him to step into Romero’s shoes as the team’s main leader, and he excelled in both areas.
After signing a new long-term contract at the club, Van de Ven can be fully invested in without doubt over his future. Having only turned 25 this year, he is entering the early part of his prime years, and handing him further responsibility as club captain will hopefully help him grow in stature within the club as both a character and a player.
The rest of his leadership team picks itself. Maddison would have been an appropriate choice for club captain, but already assumes the role of a unifier within the squad and is willing to front up to the media when results are poor. As a fan favourite, handing him the armband would have gone down well in the terraces, but it probably has little effect on his character or responsibilities.
After winning the World Cup with Spain, Porro is the type of character and player Tottenham should be looking to build around in the prime of his career. Having him as part of the leadership group is another positive development, after not being selected for a similar position under Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou.
Davies is a club stalwart and has been among the team’s leaders since Postecoglou’s appointment, while Archie Gray has worn the armband throughout pre-season, and may do so again against Brentford, deputising for Porro who is not yet fit for the squad. Last season, De Zerbi identified Gray as a future club captain, and this is another move to signify his belief in the 20-year-old.