Gary Neville compares Tottenham star to Gareth Bale – ‘He’s got such power’

Gary Neville believes that one Tottenham star’s running style is very similar to that of Gareth Bale.

Spurs star’s reputation blossoming

There are no prizes for guessing that the player Neville is referring to is Micky van de Ven, who continues to enthral everyone with his electric pace.

The Dutchman has been clocked in as the fastest player in the Premier League this season and he showed against Man Utd last weekend just how unstoppable he is going at full pelt.

In just the third minute of the game, the 23-year-old intercepted the ball deep in Tottenham’s own half and turned on the afterburners, going past half the United side before producing a perfect cross for Brennan Johnson to tap home.

Neville’s words of praise

Neville admitted that in all his years of playing and watching football at Old Trafford, he has never seen a centre-back make a run like the one Van de Ven did in the 3-0 win.

The pundit suggested that the Tottenham defender’s running style is quite unique, admitting that it reminds him of the kind of powerful runs Gareth Bale used to make.

Neville said on the It’s Called Soccer podcast: “The run from Van de Ven for the first goal at Old Trafford, it’s probably the best run I’ve ever seen from a centre-back. Certainly live! It was absolutely incredible.

“The actual cross at the end of it was spectacular. I’ve got this major problem at the moment with centre-backs rolling their foot on the ball, passing it back to one another, passing it sideways, passing it to the goalkeeper… It’s boring me to death!

“So to actually see a centre-back drive forward with the ball, we don’t see that as much anymore. We don’t tend to see centre-backs driving into space, running with the ball, committing people.

“He has an unbelievable running style. He’s got such power in his running. He’s got such a unique running style for a centre-back. It’s almost like a sort of Gareth Bale-style running action.”

Teams will be wary of Van de Ven

Now that Van de Ven has produced a couple of such assists this season, opposition teams will be wary of getting too tight to him.

They would look to stand off the centre-back and make him pass the ball, which should give the Dutchman more time on the ball.

Given the reputation that the Netherlands international is building, strikers will not even consider getting into a foot race with him anymore if there is a loose ball to be won.

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