Not many players, according to Ange Postecoglou, have been able to adjust as well as van de Ven. Furthermore, there isn’t much reason why the 23-year-old Dutchman can’t get much better in the years to come.

Van de Ven may have even been considered a lock for the Premier League Team of the Season by some.

Jamie Carragher criticised for Micky van de Ven decision

On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher had other ideas. He chose a back three that included Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhaes of Arsenal.

Speaking on Sky Sports (which aired on May 14 at 20:05), Carragher also disclosed that he received criticism for excluding Van de Ven from his team.

“It shows how highly they rate him,” the man remarked, “because when I picked my Premier League Team of the Season last night, two Tottenham supporters pulled me in and asked why I didn’t pick van de Ven.”

Passing of the torch may be coming

Carragher’s choice of the two Arsenal players makes perfect sense considering the Gunners have the best defensive record in the division this year. With David Raya already guaranteed to win the Golden Glove, Mikel Arteta’s team has only let up 28 goals in 37 games.

If van Dijk has been among the league’s top defenders this season, that may be a bigger question mark. Yet, Liverpool has been in the running for the championship for the majority of the season, and van Dijk has been crucial to their success once more.

Given how quickly he has adjusted, Van van Ven has undoubtedly been one of the season’s biggest shocks. Tottenham also greatly benefits from his pace.

If this season is any indication of what his future holds, he will undoubtedly be a mainstay of these lineups for many years to come.