Former midfielder turned pundit Jamie O’Hara has heaped praise on Tottenham Hotspur ace Micky van de Ven.
After joining the Lilywhites from VfL Wolfsburg in a £34m deal last summer, the 23-year-old has established himself as a key starter in Ange Postecoglou’s starting eleven.
He helped the North London club finish fifth in the Premier League last season and has enjoyed a promising start to this campaign, assisting twice and keeping a clean-sheet in five league appearances.
The defender’s blistering pace is his main weapon and he showcased his running power against Everton when he ran all the way from defensive to attack before providing an assist for Son Heung-Min.
He once again showcased his blistering pace last weekend versus Manchester United when he pierced the whole United team before teeing up the opener for Brennan Johnson.
Pundit heaps praise on Van de Ven
Now, speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara has heaped praise on Van de Ven and says that the Dutchman is one of the best defenders in the world, even better than Arsenal ace William Saliba.
The pundit further claims that the North London club is good enough to play for any elite club in the world. He said:
“He[Van de Ven] is unbelievable. I would go as far as to say the best centre-half in the world right now. He is better than Saliba. He has got way more than Saliba. Saliba is brilliant. He is fantastic. Don’t get me wrong. Great centre-half.
“But don’t tell me Saliba has proved it. He has won nothing. Van de Ven is better than Saliba right now. Van de Ven is the best centre-half in the world right now. Right now on form, he walks into any team. He gets into Liverpool’s team, he gets into Real Madrid’s team, he gets in Manchester City’s team, he walks into any team in the world.”
Van de Ven has been showcasing signs that he is a top-class player but in order to keep hold of a talent like him, Spurs need to challenge for big prizes consistently. Otherwise, the player might consider leaving to join a bigger team.
Tottenham have showcased glimpses that they could be able to challenge for big prizes in future under Postecoglou’s guidance. But, it is going to be interesting to see whether they can eventually reach the top anytime soon.
