James Maddison has revealed he told Micky van de Ven he had ‘never heard’ of him prior to his switch to Tottenham.
Spurs signed the centre-back from Wolfsburg last summer in a deal that could rise to £43million, one that could prove to be a bargain.
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FootballPremier League
James Maddison left stunned by ‘fantastic’ Tottenham signing Micky van de Ven who he ‘never heard of’
Robert Calcutt, Sports Writer
Published: 19:15, 28 May 2024Updated: 19:15, 28 May 2024
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James Maddison has revealed he told Micky van de Ven he had ‘never heard’ of him prior to his switch to Tottenham.
Spurs signed the centre-back from Wolfsburg last summer in a deal that could rise to £43million, one that could prove to be a bargain.
Van de Ven has been a rising star at Spurs this season
Van de Ven has been a rising star at Spurs this seasonCredit: Getty
Despite a lengthy spell out due to a hamstring injury, Van de Ven has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best defenders.
And it seems as though Maddison, who also moved to the north London giants in 2023, was left astonished by how good he is considering he was unfamiliar with the Dutchman beforehand.
The Spurs midfielder kindly spoke to talkSPORT at his Maddison Invitational charity golf day at the Centurion Golf Club in St Albans for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, who support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.
When discussing Van de Ven on Drive with Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, he said: “He’s rapid, he’s absolutely rapid.
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EXCLUSIVE
FootballPremier League
James Maddison left stunned by ‘fantastic’ Tottenham signing Micky van de Ven who he ‘never heard of’
Robert Calcutt, Sports Writer
Published: 19:15, 28 May 2024Updated: 19:15, 28 May 2024
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
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James Maddison has revealed he told Micky van de Ven he had ‘never heard’ of him prior to his switch to Tottenham.
Spurs signed the centre-back from Wolfsburg last summer in a deal that could rise to £43million, one that could prove to be a bargain.
Van de Ven has been a rising star at Spurs this season
Van de Ven has been a rising star at Spurs this seasonCredit: Getty
Despite a lengthy spell out due to a hamstring injury, Van de Ven has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best defenders.
And it seems as though Maddison, who also moved to the north London giants in 2023, was left astonished by how good he is considering he was unfamiliar with the Dutchman beforehand.
The Spurs midfielder kindly spoke to talkSPORT at his Maddison Invitational charity golf day at the Centurion Golf Club in St Albans for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, who support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.
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When discussing Van de Ven on Drive with Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, he said: “He’s rapid, he’s absolutely rapid.
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“I actually said to him as well when he came in, well not straightaway obviously, but after a little bit, when I realised how good he was and how fast.
“I said, ‘You know I’d never heard of you?’ I would never say that at the start obviously, but once I realised he was a top player, I couldn’t believe we had signed this centre-back that I was seeing.
“Because I was thinking, ‘Right well then, what’s his weakness?’ He’s good on the ball, he’s good in the air, he’s tall, he’s strong and he’s rapid.
And I’m thinking, ‘Where’s the weakness then?’ To be fair I’m still looking, and I don’t want to get too carried away with him because… but I kind of love him and want to as well.
