Micky van de Ven says he and his Tottenham teammates are determined to end the club’s long wait for a trophy when they face Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao. Spurs haven’t lifted silverware since the 2008 League Cup, and Van de Ven believes the current squad is ready to break that drought.
The Dutch centre-back admitted that after he joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in 2023, people told him he’d never win a trophy at the club. Yet he and the rest of the squad are motivated by that narrative to prove people wrong and bring success back to north London.
“When you join Tottenham, people often say you won’t win anything,” he said. “But everyone who came here wanted to change that. It’s not just one or two players it’s the whole squad and the manager who believe we can make a difference. Now it’s up to us to prove it in the final.”
Van de Ven brushed off criticism and mockery from social media, insisting it never affected his mindset. His focus remains on the unity and ambition of the team, especially under manager Ange Postecoglou, who has faced intense scrutiny after a difficult domestic season.
Despite a league campaign marked by inconsistency and 21 defeats the most in a single 38-game Premier League season for the club Tottenham have rallied in Europe. Their run to the Europa League final has been one of the few bright spots, and Van de Ven credits the togetherness of the squad and the leadership of Postecoglou for their resilience.
“We’ve supported the gaffer since he came in,” Van de Ven said. “He’s shown his quality and taken us to a European final. A lot of people have doubted him, but he’s proven them wrong. Hopefully we can lift the trophy, not just for ourselves but for him as well.”
Van de Ven also emphasised the importance of winning for the club and its supporters. “This club deserves trophies. If you look at the talent we have, we should be competing for honours. It’s been a tough season, but we have the chance to end it in the best way possible with a trophy.”
Key to Spurs’ recent improvement has been the return of their first-choice defence. Since the second leg of the last-16 tie against AZ, the core defensive unit—goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, and centre-backs Van de Ven and Cristian Romero has been back in action. Their solidity helped Spurs see off Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals, particularly in a 1-0 second-leg victory that secured a 2-1 aggregate win.
Van de Ven highlighted his partnership with Romero as a major factor in Tottenham’s defensive strength. “We just understand each other on the pitch. If he steps up, I know where to be. If I have the ball, he knows how to support me. It’s a real connection that’s grown stronger with every game.”
He praised their growing chemistry, describing it as an “unbelievable connection” built through trust and shared understanding. With their defensive unit back to full strength, Tottenham head into the final with renewed confidence and belief that they can finally end their long wait for silverware.
