Micky van de Ven was full of praise for one Tottenham Hotspur star who came off the bench to help the team rescue a point against Bodo/Glimt.
Van de Ven scored and captained Tottenham Hotspur as they came from two goals down to stop Bodo from securing a first Champions League.
Thomas Frank’s team struggled on the artificial surface in the Arctic Circle and were hugely fortunate not to have suffered defeat in Norway.
Speaking after the game, the North London club’s new vice captain assessed the impact of one of the Spurs’ substitutes in Bodo.
Micky van de Ven admits Xavi Simons is key for Tottenham
Micky van de Ven has claimed that Xavi Simons is quickly becoming a key player for Tottenham, and his creativity is evident when he’s on the pitch.
The Dutch international came off the bench at 2-0 down, and as soon as he entered the pitch against Bodo, Spurs looked a lot more dangerous.
Tottenham have been struggling to create chances under Frank, so having a player like Simons will be key moving forward.
When asked about his compatriot, Van told the media: “Yeah, he’s a really good player, he can create a lot of special things, as you’ve seen today, he comes on and he’s doing really well.
“I think most of the time when he plays, you can see the creativity he has on the wing, even if he plays in the 10.”
Meanwhile, Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle is excited about Simons, but believes he is still settling into life in North London.
One key debate has been as to why Frank hasn’t been playing Simons in the number ten role, which has generated a fair amount of frustration among supporters.
Micky van de Ven has been impressed by Tottenham’s squad size
Van de Ven has also hailed the strength of Tottenham’s squad size, suggesting that everyone can come in and do a job for the team.
“Everybody who comes into the team has some quality, and I think that’s everyone who comes in. Of course, you don’t have players who have the rhythm, but it doesn’t really change anything for me or the team,” added Van de Ven.
“Every player who comes in needs to play his best, and I think everyone tries to play their best when they come into the team.”
Tottenham’s squad will be tested when they go again on Saturday lunchtime away at Elland Road in what will be another test.