Mickey van de Ven admires Liverpool ace Virgil van Dijk ahead of Tottenham clash in the Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur defender Mickey van de Ven spoke to the Press Association (h/t Liverpool Echo) about his admiration for Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Tottenham Hotspur signed the 22-year-old from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for £43m including add-ons during the summer transfer window. Van de Ven made 41 appearances for Wolfsberg, contributing to one goal and three assists before joining the Spurs.

The Reds will play Spurs in the Premier League showdown on Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The teams are currently lying in second and fourth place respectively with two points separating them.

Van de Ven told had a lot to talk about his admiration for the Liverpool captain. He said:

“I think Virgil was the last couple of years, and this year also one of the best defenders in the Premier League, for sure. The year they grabbed the title, he was unbelievable and showed how important he is for Liverpool. He shows how important he is the last couple of years.”

Van Dijk has won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup with the Reds. The Dutchman won many individual allocates like PFA Players’ Player of the Year during his Liverpool tenure.

Before his horrific injury against Everton, the 32-year-old rightfully earned recognition as one of the world’s top centre-backs. Van Dijk suffered the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury after a terrible tackle from Jordan Pickford.

The Dutch national team captain required surgery which kept him out of most of the 2020-21 season. The Dutchman has struggled to get back to the best form since the injury but remains a formidable defender. We believe Van de Ven would want to emulate his compatriot’s incredible Premier League legacy and success.

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The Dutchman previously revealed his dream to play at Anfield while speaking with Wolfsburger Allgemeine Aller-Zeitung (h/t Liverpool Echo). The 22-year-old has a lot of incentive going into the Liverpool game to show what he can do. The Reds attacking lineup is a big challenge for Van de Ven’s team as they have shown vulnerability defensively.