Van de Ven is appointed as the main skipper for Tottenham, while De Zerbi has selected five captains
Tottenham Hotspur has officially named Micky van de Ven as the captain for this season. Manager Roberto de Zerbi announced the Netherlands international’s appointment on Friday, placing him at the forefront of a five-man leadership group that includes World Cup-winner Pedro Porro.
Both players, however, will be absent from Spurs’ opening Premier League match against Brentford on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Van de Ven takes over the armband from Argentine Cristian Romero, who joined Atletico Madrid this month.
“The new captain is Micky van de Ven. “The second is Pedro Porro, the third is Ben Davies, the fourth is James Maddison, and the fifth is Archie Gray,” Italian De Zerbi explained. “Why five captains? Just because I want many captains on the pitch and to be clear in their positions. Fifth is position. Each is worthy of being a captain or part of the captaincy group; however, personality and passion do not determine whether one is a captain.
Italian De Zerbi joined the team toward the conclusion of last season, with only seven matches remaining and the club facing the prospect of relegation for the first time since 1977. He infused a vital sense of determination and successfully accomplished his survival mission on the last day of the campaign.
Following a significant close-season investment in players such as Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jan Paul van Hecke, there is a strong sense of optimism that he can elevate Tottenham’s performance, moving them away from consecutive 17th-place finishes and into a more competitive position in the league.
Two of his key players will be absent for the trip to Brentford, as Van de Ven is injured and Porro has only just returned to training after contributing to Spain’s World Cup victory. “Micky is not on the list tomorrow, just like Pedro,” De Zerbi informed reporters. “Today, Van de Ven trained with us and the group, and he is progressing very well. He suffered a problem during the pre-season of Australia’s position. I don’t know if it was the flight, but it’s not a big problem. “We have (Marcos) Senesi, we have Ben Davies, and we are in the right condition to play the game tomorrow.”
De Zerbi refrained from commenting on the rumored imminent signing of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City, yet expressed satisfaction with the club’s close-season transfers. “We have not finished in the transfer market. It’s an important part. So far we have brought in some great players, great spirit, and great personality,” he said.
