Micky Van de Ven reclaims his throne as fastest Premier League player
Tottenham fans will not be surprised to hear that Micky van de Ven is sitting at the top of the Premier League in one key stat.
Van de Ven crucial to Spurs
Van de Ven’s importance to Tottenham cannot be overstated as his recovery pace affords Ange Postecoglou’s men the freedom to press higher up the pitch and squeeze the opposition.
It is no coincidence that Spurs struggled for results last season when the Dutchman was out injured and that one of their two losses this season (against Newcastle) has also come when the 23-year-old was missing.
Postecoglou will want to do everything in his power to keep the former Wolfsburg man fit through the season, as evidenced by the fact that he took him off for the final ten minutes of Sunday’s win against Man Utd.
Top of the tree
Van de Ven’s pace and acceleration were on full display at Old Trafford as the defender almost sprinted the length of the pitch, going past five or six Man Utd players before squaring the ball for Brennan Johnson to tap home.
The move came in just the third minute of the game and left the Red Devils completely shell-shocked.
It is not the first time this season that Van de Ven has carried the ball into the final third, with the Spurs defender setting up Heung-min Son for a similar goal against Everton.
Unsurprisingly, the centre-back has been recorded with the highest top speed in the Premier League so far this season, being clocked at 37.12 kilometres per hour.
A freak of nature
It is very rare for someone of such a large physical stature to accelerate as quickly as Van de Ven does, which is what makes him a nightmare to play against.
Given the reputation that the Netherlands international is building, no forward in the Premier League will even attempt to take him on in a foot race going forward.
It will be an immense battle when the Tottenham man goes up against Erling Haaland when Spurs travel to Man City in November.
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