Micky van de Ven has revealed what Roberto De Zerbi told him when he walked into Tottenham Hotspur and what the Italian did to galvanise a squad which was lacking in confidence.
De Zerbi has passed his first challenge at Spurs, managing to avoid relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.
There is now plenty of hard work to do for the Italian and Tottenham’s decision-makers as they look to assemble a squad capable of challenging near the top end of the table.
Van de Ven has already predicted that Spurs will be much better next season, and the centre-back has now shed light on the impact of De Zerbi.
Tottenham star Micky van de Ven opens up on his relationship with Roberto De Zerbi
Some Spurs players have already said the club may have gone down if not for De Zerbi’s arrival, and Van de Ven appears to concur.
The Dutchman admitted that the 46-year-old lifted the mood of the squad straightaway and shared what the former Brighton boss said to him privately.
The Tottenham defender told the club’s official website: “We’ve been through a rollercoaster, and since Roberto came in, I think a new positive flow came into the group, and we played some better football and we got the points.
“The gaffer has been unbelievable, I’m not going to lie, since he stepped in. I spoke a lot with him as well because he also saw that I was not in the best mood, even at the training ground.
“So, he spoke a lot to me and he said to me, ‘you’re going to be a really important player for me these last couple of games and I’m going to rely on you. You need to trust me and trust me, I trust you’.
“He said, ‘I’ve seen you play even when I was at Brighton, when I was at Marseille, you’re a top player, and I’m going to need you these last couple of games, so let’s push together’.
“I think he did it with multiple players who had a lot of conversations with him and he gave us so much confidence. I think that’s really important, especially when you’re in the difficult situation we were in. Luckily, we came through it and I’m really proud of the boys.”
Van de Ven is expected to stay at Spurs
It has been widely reported that Van de Ven is loving life under De Zerbi at Spurs, and is open to signing a new contract at the North London club.
The Tottenham boss has described the Dutchman as the best player in his position across the league, and it is clear from the 25-year-old’s latest words that the pair have forged a close bond.
With Cristian Romero continuing to be linked with an exit from Spurs, Van de Ven may emerge as the face of the club in the De Zerbi era.