What Micky Van de Ven was told by a coach at 18 years old seems crazy now

Micky van de Ven has revealed that his youth coach at Volendam did not think he would make it as a footballer, curiously even telling...

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Micky van de Ven has revealed that his youth coach at Volendam did not think he would make it as a footballer, curiously even telling the centre-back that he was not quick enough for the highest level.

While Van de Ven has many impressive qualities, if there is one thing that stands out, it is clearly his electric pace, with the 22-year-old having rapid acceleration, particularly for someone his size.

He has already been clocked in as the quickest player in Premier League history since they started measuring the stat (Sky Sports) and one would struggle to find any centre-back in world football faster than the Tottenham man.

Micky Van de Ven was told he was too slow

When asked about his pace and where it comes from, Van de Ven told The Guardian: “It’s genetics. When I was younger, I was an attacker and I would outsprint everyone. Then there was a period where I had a dip.

“My height was going up fast and I had problems with my knees. I did some work on it and the speed came back, the control came back. But I think it was mostly genetics.”

While Van de Ven has had a meteoric rise over the last couple of years and is now considered one of the best young defenders in the world, the path to the top was not always straightforward for him.

In fact, he revealed that one of his coaches at the Under-19 level did not think he possessed the qualities to graduate to the next level.

The centre-back added: “When I was, like, in the Under-16s, they were saying: ‘OK, it’s close for you to go through [to the next year] or we just drop you off and you have to leave’.

“They kept playing me and playing me and I went through, through. I came to the Under-19s, I played the whole year but the gaffer of the first team didn’t see the potential of me.

“He said: ‘The guys who are playing right now are way better than you. You are not fast enough’. That was maybe the most strange thing for me. I was like: ‘Ehhh?!’ He was saying: ‘We don’t really see the potential for you to become a first-team player.’

“I was 18 [in April 2019] and I spoke with my dad. I said: ‘Maybe it’s better if I go to some high amateur league level, play there and who knows what’s going to happen.’ He was like: ‘No. Just keep pushing’.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Van de Ven’s development curve over the last three years has been astounding and Postecoglou will be hoping that the upward curve continues over the next 12 to 18 months. The 22-year-old certainly has all the attributes needed to become the best in the world in his position.

The post What Micky Van de Ven was told by a coach at 18 years old seems crazy now appeared first on The Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.