Tottenham mainstay names former Barcelona captain as his idol: ‘Loved the way he led the others’ | OneFootball

From being just another talented young defender, Micky van de Ven has quickly established himself as one of the finest in the Premier League during his spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dutchman has impressed onlookers with his speed, technical prowess and ability to read the game, making him a perfect modern-day centre-back.

And like any other efficient centre-back, it appears van de Ven is a big fan of a certain Carles Puyol, as he admitted in a recent interview.

Van de ven heaps praise on Barcelona legend

In a conversation with Gary Neville, as part of The Overlap, van de Ven admitted he idolises Puyol, widely considered as one of the best defenders to play for Barcelona in the 21st century.

“My football idol? Puyol. I really like him, his way of tackling and playing. I also loved the way he led the others to victory,” he said.

Known for his no-nonsense defensive attitude and the ability to jump into any challenge, Puyol is a Barcelona hero whose success and longevity can be compared to stars such as Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

A legend of the game. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images for Laureus)

A one-club man, Puyol spent all his career at Barcelona, featuring in almost 600 competitive matches. He notably won the Champions League three times and the league title six times.

His tally of 593 competitive appearances for Barcelona is only bettered by five fellow legends in Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Gerard Pique, and Lionel Messi.

Given his pedigree and legacy, it is hardly surprising that someone like van de Ven idolises the Barcelona legend.

What is interesting, however, is that van de Ven is one of the players on the radar of Barcelona’s arch-rivals, Real Madrid, who had reportedly sent scouts to watch him in action recently.

Barcelona, meanwhile, had the opportunity to sign van de Ven early on in his career, according to former scout Bojan Krkic Sr., but the opportunity was turned down by then sporting directors Eric Abidal and Ramon Planes.