Micky van de Ven Named Tottenham Captain for New Premier League Season

Roberto De Zerbi has handed the armband to Micky van de Ven as Tottenham prepare to launch their new Premier League campaign, confirming a reshaped leadership group on the eve of the season.

Van de Ven, fresh from signing a new contract, steps up as club captain after Cristian Romero’s departure to Atletico Madrid earlier this month. The Dutch defender will be backed by a sizeable supporting cast: Pedro Porro is named vice-captain, with Ben Davies, James Maddison and teenager Archie Gray completing a five-man leadership core.

De Zerbi made the announcement on Friday and was clear this is a deliberate shift in how he wants his team to operate on the pitch.

“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 said, before explaining the thinking behind the unusually long list.

“Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch and to be clear in the position.

“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.”

Porro, a World Cup winner, and versatile midfielder Gray are new faces in that group, stepping in for Romero and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has joined Juventus on loan and is not expected to return.

New Captains, New Project

The reshuffle arrives at a delicate moment for Spurs. Last season they survived only on the final day, clinging to their Premier League status after a grim run-in that left the club staring at disaster.

De Zerbi does not want that trauma airbrushed out.

“[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.”

He speaks of a reset, but not a clean slate. The scars are meant to drive the standards.

“We're building a new project. 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.”

A new captain. A wider leadership group. A manager who refuses to let the memory of a relegation scrap fade. Tottenham go into opening weekend knowing exactly what almost happened last year — and exactly what they cannot allow to happen again.