HomeFootballPremier League Transfer: Cruyff Talent

Premier League Transfer: Cruyff Talent

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Micky van de Ven: From Dutch Second Division to Premier League Contender

When Micky van de Ven was told he was surplus to requirements at a Dutch second division club, it seemed his career was going nowhere. Fast forward two years and the 22-year-old Wolfsburg defender is being touted with a move to the Premier League, with Tottenham heavily linked. How did the talented defender go from being unwanted to being one of the most sought-after players in Europe? The answer lies in the ‘Plan Cruyff’ project implemented by Wim Jonk at Volendam, where Van de Ven earned his breakthrough.

The ‘Plan Cruyff’ Project at Volendam

When Wim Jonk took over as manager of Volendam in April 2019, he implemented the same ‘Plan Cruyff’ principles that had proved successful at Ajax. Van de Ven had been told by the previous management he was down the pecking order and free to look for another club, but was immediately handed a contract by Jonk’s staff, who spotted a “raw diamond” in their under-19s.

Volendam operate a sustainable transfer policy based on discovering “high-potential talents” and eventually selling them on. The club focuses on playing attractive football, creating a performance culture and developing young players through bespoke individual programmes. Van de Ven quickly grew in stature and within six months he was a regular starter in the first team in the Dutch second tier.

Ruben Jongkind, the former head of talent development at Ajax and now Volendam director, explains: “We look differently. We have a lot of experience with youngsters. We look at strengths and we saw a Cruyffian defender – a lot of risk taking, incredible speed, I have never seen something like that. We also saw defensively he was a little bit weak, especially in agility, one-on-one defending, heading, some things in the tactical area. They are things we could work on. His special weapon was already there.”

Van de Ven’s Development at Volendam

Van de Ven’s pace was tested in a 60m dash and he ran seven seconds flat. Jongkind has a background in athletics and says he has never seen such speed. The teenager racked up 48 appearances over two seasons and captained the ‘The Other Orange’. Jongkind says: “We absolutely believed in his abilities. We have worked with Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Sergino Dest, Toby Alderweireld, Sven Botman, good defenders. We knew the level he could reach potentially. That is basically the same trick we did at Ajax between 2010 and 2016 – to see the strength of the players, the potential and help them develop in the right environment. We worked a lot on him. He gained 10kg, tactically he became much stronger. Mentally he was already strong but he gained a top-sport mindset, training hard and taking care of himself. His heading improved a lot, technically he improved.”

A Landmark Transfer Ruling

Van de Ven had interest from top clubs in Spain and elsewhere, but it was Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg who signed the defender for £3.15m two years ago in a transfer that was consequential for Dutch football. After Volendam rejected initial bids from Wolfsburg and Marseille, the player and his agent at the time, Mino Raiola, took the club to court seeking a dissolution of his contract on the grounds of an “irreparably disrupted working relationship”.

The Arbitration Committee of the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) ruled in Volendam’s favour and the club held out for a higher fee, as well as a healthy sell-on percentage of his next transfer. Jongkind believed the player would one day be worth about 50m euros and says it set a precedent for clubs in the Netherlands, whose young prospects could otherwise be picked off on the cheap.

Van de Ven’s Time at Wolfsburg

Van de Ven had to be patient during his first season in Germany, not helped by a hamstring injury, but played 90 minutes in all but one Bundesliga game as Wolfsburg finished eighth last term. The Dutchman’s pace saw him clocked as the quickest centre-back in the league, registering a top speed of 22.3mph.

Compared to other centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues, according to fbref.com, Van de Ven ranked highly for progressive carries and successful take-ons and above average for pass completion (87.7%) and progressive passes, but lower on tackles, clearances, interceptions and aerial duels. Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport Marcel Schafer summed him up: “Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second” while Wolfsburg boss Niko Kovac added: “Micky is a great boy, a really good footballer. He is such a winner, a fighter, he doesn’t want to lose, never, he will give everything.”

Van de Ven was called up to the Netherlands’ preliminary World Cup squad last year but is yet to make his senior debut, instead captaining the under-21s during an ultimately unsuccessful Euros campaign in Georgia this summer.

Premier League Move Imminent?

Van de Ven appears to fit the mould for an Ange Postecoglou side looking for a left-sided centre-back expected to play expressive, attacking football. But Van de Ven has also been linked with Liverpool, who appointed former Wolfsburg sporting director Jorg Schmadtke in January. Either way, a Premier League move will both benefit Volendam financially and prove validation for the work taking place at the Eredivisie club.

Jongkind says: “He is the kind of player who needs the challenge. He fought hard to get where he had to be. We have tracked everything very carefully because these kinds of transfers will help Volendam enormously. For such a small club, something in the formula must be right – it is inspired and stimulated by Johan Cruyff, so it must be good!”

Conclusion

Micky van de Ven’s rise from unwanted player to Premier League contender is testament to his hard work and dedication as well as Volendam’s ‘Plan Cruyff’ project that enabled him to flourish. The 22-year-old defender has shown incredible development since joining Wolfsburg two years ago and has been clocked as one of the quickest centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues. With Tottenham heavily linked with a move for Van de Ven as well as Liverpool appointing former Wolfsburg sporting director Jorg Schmadtke in January, it looks like only a matter of time before we see him plying his trade in England’s top flight.

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