Van de Ven was speaking to Gary Neville in an exclusive Overlap interview, covering his time at Spurs under Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank
Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven claims that Alexander Isak is the best striker he has faced in the Premier League, with the Dutchman labelling the Liverpool man as “top class”.
Van de Ven joined Spurs in the summer of 2023, and has faced the likes of Erling Haaland and Mo Salah during his time in north London, though he named Isak as the best attacking player he has come up against.
The Swedish striker has scored six times in five appearances against Spurs, grabbing braces on two occasions, though only one of these games saw him face van de Ven, with the Dutchman absent for the other four fixtures.
When asked who his toughest opponent has been, the Dutchman highlighted Isak and the Sweden striker’s performance in Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Spurs in April 2024.
“The game we played against Newcastle, the one where I slipped, this game [Alexander] Isak was a different level,” he explained.
“At this point, I was like, ‘he’s a top-class player’. I knew he was top class but this game, I was like...[scoffs].
“He can run in behind, he can come onto the ball, he’s technical, he’s also really good with the ball, he’s fast, he has a top finish, at that point he was literally everywhere,” he added.
Isak scored two goals for the Magpies in that 4-0 win, with the 26-year-old going on to establish himself as one of the best strikers on the continent before his £125m move to Liverpool this summer.
The striker arrived at Liverpool alongside £116m signing Florian Wirtz, but the duo have failed to hit the ground running at Anfield, with their arrival coinciding with a period of difficult form for Arne Slot’s champions.
Meanwhile, van de Ven and Spurs have seen change come this season after the club appointed Thomas Frank to take over from Ange Postecoglou, though the club currently sit 11th after just six wins from 16 games.
Category: General Sports
