Roberto De Zerbi made a surprising statement about Micky van de Ven in the summer, but the early signs are positive for Tottenham Hotspur.

While Van de Ven was talked about as being among the best centre-backs in the world after his first season at Spurs, a combination of injuries and a loss of form has seen his stock drop over the last couple of years.

However, the Dutchman appears to have found a new lease of life since De Zerbi walked through the door, with the 25-year-old signing a new contract in the summer and being made club captain.

The Netherlands international’s individual number this season suggests that he has managed to transform his game on the ball.

Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven has evolved into a top passer

Until last season, Spurs were often reliant on Cristian Romero to make line-breaking passes, with Van de Ven’s passing being seen as a weakness, even though he was generally tidy on the ball.

However, De Zerbi indicated in the summer that he wants the Dutchman to control the tempo from the back and play like a midfielder.

The Tottenham boss said back in August: “I want Micky as a midfielder at the back: with the ball, with the personality to control the situation.”

Two months on, it appears that De Zerbi has managed to do just that. Jim, the host of the Oh So Spurs podcast, has now shared data from Gradient Sports that shows how much Van de Ven has improved as a line-breaking passer this season.

The Spurs captain has gone from being in the 13th percentile for line-breaking passes in the Premier League last season to being in the 91st percentile, which is a humongous leap.

Van de Ven has also seen an astonishing improvement when it comes to passes into the final third and the number of receptions facing his own goal.

These stats show the difference in tactics between someone like Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi. Instead of being asked to carry the ball up the pitch, Van de Ven is now being tasked with breaking the lines with his passing instead. This means the likes of Tonali and Fernandes (and the attackers) can receive the ball in dangerous pockets, giving them more time, space, and opportunity to find a dangerous pass into the final third.

This tactic is clearly working too, as Tottenham are having more touches in the opposition box than most teams in the Premier League. Spurs also play the fewest long balls per match (17.1) out of the 20 Premier League sides, with more emphasis on those shorter, line-breaking passes between defence-midfield, and midfield-attack.

The Van de Ven-Van Hecke partnership can really take off for Spurs

Tottenham have had a few defensive lapses this season, and Van Hecke has come in for plenty of scathing criticism from parts of the media.

However, the former Brighton man has been one of the best ball-playing defenders in the Premier League this term, which has allowed Tottenham to dominate possession and seamlessly progress the ball.

While the 26-year-old may be lacking in pace, Van de Ven compensates for that, possessing an abundance of it. The pair complement each other very well, and one can see them getting better as a pairing the more they play together.