Micky van de Ven Named New Tottenham Captain for Premier League Season
Roberto De Zerbi has handed the armband to Micky van de Ven as Tottenham step into a new Premier League season still scarred – and sharpened – by last year’s relegation escape.
Van de Ven leads new-look leadership group
Speaking on Friday, on the eve of Spurs’ opener, De Zerbi confirmed the Dutch defender as his new captain, with a deliberately deep leadership group behind him.
“The new captain is Micky van de Ven. The second Pedro Porro, the third Ben Davies, the fourth James Maddison and the fifth Archie Gray,” he told reporters.
Van de Ven’s rise comes on the back of a new contract and a changing of the guard. He takes over from Cristian Romero, who left for Atletico Madrid earlier this month, while World Cup winner Pedro Porro and versatile midfielder Archie Gray are fresh additions to the leadership core.
They replace Romero and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has joined Juventus on loan and is not expected to return.
De Zerbi wants voices everywhere, not just one dominant figure.
“Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch and to be clear in the position,” he said. “Every one of them deserves to be captain or in the group of the captains, but personality and passion is not if you are captain or not captain.”
The message is blunt: responsibility is shared, standards are non-negotiable.
Lessons from the brink
Tottenham’s new season begins with the memory of the last one still raw. They survived on the final day; the drop was close enough to feel.
De Zerbi has no intention of letting that fade.
“[It’s been a] very intense three months, but I think we can't forget what happened. Last season is a big lesson for us,” he said. “We have to go on another page and start an important season.”
A fresh page, but not a clean slate. The pain stays as a warning.
“We’re building a new project,” he continued. “The first two targets is very clear in ourselves is to find the soul of the team. Second target to improve in our organisation with and without the ball. Our style has to be the key of our season.”
Soul, structure, style. A new captain, four deputies and a manager determined not to relive last May. Now comes the only test that matters: what this Spurs side look like when the whistle blows and the fear of last season meets the demands of this one.
