In the background, a dazzling canvas adorns the wall of the German apartment. Micky van de Ven in an orange shirt. As if he saw it coming. He is perhaps the most notable player in national coach Louis van Gaal’s World Cup pre-selection.
“This is from my Volendam days,” Van de Ven smiles as he turns and looks at his painting. An artwork by Barry Pirovano, a well-known figure in football culture, featuring a joyful Van de Ven.
21-year-old Van de Ven has a serious shot at taking the Oranges to Qatar for the World Cup. “Everything happens so fast now,” he admits.
The undisputed core player after a tough first year
It’s only been a year and a half since the young defender made a surprising move from the major leagues to the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg paid 3.5 million euros for him. Van de Ven could also join Feyenoord or PSV but chose Germany.
He had a difficult first year there. “Obviously when you come from Volendam to play everything in the Bundesliga at the same time, it’s difficult. I used the minutes I could and then I got injured.” The counter stopped at 189 minutes.
Everything is different this season. Under the new coach Niko Kovač, Van de Ven is the undisputed key player in the centre-back. He didn’t miss a minute and scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on Tuesday evening against Borussia Dortmund (2-0 win).
Therefore, their good performances in a top international competition did not go unnoticed by Van Gaal. “You always hope for that,” says Van de Ven. “Because you know that when you play everything in Germany, it doesn’t go unnoticed. And you know the shortlist is pretty big.”
Post from KNVB
But the last moment you’re there comes as a surprise, she says. “I got off the training ground and saw a photo in a group practice. Then I checked my emails and then I got an email from KNVB.”
And then? “Yes, I was very happy back then. One immediately wants to celebrate something like this. But this was the last practice session for our match. I was in this game with my head too. So it doubled a lot: I was focused and on tolerance.”
Bayer Leverkusen (2:2) will be played the next day. Defensive players Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker play there. There are also two Young Orange talents on Van Gaal’s roster.
Van de Ven: “I have spoken jerk and myth shortly after the game. You congratulate each other and say it would be good to be there. Of course, spending time together at the World Cup is even better.”
Van de Ven has not heard from Van Gaal or his team. He has a hard time talking about his chances. “Of course I was never there for that.”
Botman, Struijk or Van de Ven?
North Dutch left-footed defender. Nathan Aké is the designated starting player on the left in the triple defensive system. Van Gaal is expected to bring another specialist in this position to the World Cup.
Three of these talents are in the qualifiers. All three have a fundamental place in high-level competition. So Van de Ven in Germany. In England, Sven Botman and Pascal Struijk are at Newcastle United and Leeds United respectively. “It’s a great competition,” said Van de Ven.
Van Gaal will reveal who he is taking to Qatar at a press conference this Friday. Van de Ven isn’t going to sit in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn and chewed nails.
“I am a resident now. And we have a full program. On Friday, the focus is on Saturday’s game against Hoffenheim. Of course that’s in the back of my mind, but I don’t think I’ll be thinking about it all day.”
What if it’s not there? “Then it’s a shame you had to watch the World Cup on the tube. But knowing that you are on the radar of the Dutch national team is a good motivation to keep going.”
Source: NOS
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Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
