Micky van de Ven explains doubts over his career after old confidence blow

Micky van de Ven may be one of the brightest talents in the Tottenham Hotspur team right now, but he once had major doubts over the chances of making it in football after knockbacks in his development.

Van de Ven considered taking a step back

No footballer has an easy journey to the top, and Micky van de Ven would certainly agree with that sentiment.

The Dutchman eventually got his breakthrough, but he had setbacks at youth level in his native Netherlands, and he’s been discussing how close he came to quitting the game in a recent interview with Voetbal Primeur.

He said: “Of course, it very much depends on the people around you. People have to have confidence in you. I didn’t go from Under-19 to Jong Volendam [Under-21]. I felt no confidence from the Volendam first-team staff at that time. You sense then that it’s going to be a difficult story.

“But if people don’t see that… Maybe people see perspective in other players at that time. My pace didn’t stand out either. It wasn’t seen as something that was really a weapon of mine. That was certainly not the case, even though I was very fast then. People then thought I was short.

“I did think of stepping back then to take two steps forward. I never thought about another profession. It was always football. In the end, it worked out well.”

A success story, eventually

Thankfully, Wim Jonk arrived at Volendam and gave van de Ven the chance to shine, and the rest is history. After excelling in the Dutch league, the defender moved on to Wolfsburg, where he really made a name for himself, especially for his pace.

From there, van de Ven joined Spurs last summer and has not looked back. He is now a key figure in Ange Postecoglou‘s backline and is considered one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Players develop at different rates

This is an important lesson in the value of being patient, and giving players a chance to develop at their own pace. How many times has the footballing world become excited by the hype around a young player, only for that player to then disappear into the ether and never fulfil their potential?

Great players are built over time, and it takes a lot of resilience and hard work to get to the top. Thankfully, van de Ven has all of that and is right where he belongs.

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