James Maddison was stunned by Tottenham's 'fantastic' signing of Micky van de Ven, who he had 'never heard of'

James Maddison has revealed that he told Micky van de Ven that he had “never heard of” him before his move to Tottenham..

Spurs signed the centre-back from Wolfsburg last summer in a deal worth £43m, which could prove to be a bargain.

Despite a long layoff due to a hamstring injury, They come from come He has become one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

And it seems as if maddisonwho also moved to the north London giants in 2023, was amazed at how good he is, considering he was not familiar with the Dutchman beforehand.

The Spurs midfielder spoke kindly to talkSPORT at his Maddison Invitational charity golf day at Centurion Golf Club in St Albans for Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, which supports children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.

Speaking about Van de Ven on Drive with Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, he said: “He's fast, he's absolutely fast.

“I actually told him that too when he came in, well, not immediately obviously, but after a while, when I realized how good he was and how fast.”

“I said, 'You know I've never heard of you?' Obviously, I'd never say that at first, but once I realized he was a top player, I couldn't believe we'd signed the centre-back I was looking at.

“Because I was thinking, 'Well, then what's his weakness?' He is good with the ball, he is good in the air, he is tall, strong and fast.

“And I think: 'Where is the weakness then?' To be fair, I'm still looking for it and I don't want to get carried away with it because… but I kind of love it and want to do it too.

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“He is a great player and also a great boy, being a good person and a great boy in the locker room makes you appreciate him even more as a player.

“He's a great guy and has been a fantastic signing for us.

“I'm very disappointed that he had a big injury in the middle of the season because I think you would have been talking about someone who is probably in the team of the year.

“But listen, he's back to fitness now and he's looking very good and I'm sure he'll be an asset for the Netherlands this summer (at Euro 2024).”

Van de Ven featured 27 times in his first season in the Premier League and scored three goals as Spurs finished fifth.

He was also the fastest player in the English top flight throughout the campaign, setting a top speed of 37.38 km/h against Brentford.

The 23-year-old has made two international appearances for the Netherlands and has been selected in their provisional squad for Euro 2024.