Anfield dreams and Madrid myth have their own categories and then there was Micky van de Ven, who on Tuesday rewrote the script for centre‑halves everywhere.
From the edge of his own box to the back of the net, the Dutch defender produced a run and finish so audacious it invited comparisons to Lionel Messi a defender’s solo masterpiece that left stadiums and pundits scrambling for superlatives.
Tottenham were 2-0 up but down to 10 men when Van de Ven collected the ball on the edge of his penalty area. Instead of the safe, conservative clearance most defenders would choose, he chose the impossible: a full‑blooded, blistering sprint that shoved past opponents like roadside pylons.
One, two, three players flicked by; two more were shrugged off around halfway; and then, with a burst of pace, he left a Copenhagen defender trailing and strode into the clear.
The finish, cool, composed, and clinical, clipped past Dominik Kotarski and triggered a ferocious celebration as teammates swarmed him.
It was one of those Champions League moments that will loop in highlight reels for years.
From the touchline to the studio, voices struggled to keep up.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank laughed that Messi had briefly “turned into Micky van de Ven,” and ex‑pros piled on praise, calling it a candidate for Goal of the Season.
Analysts marvelled not just at the technical quality of the finish but at the audacity: a giant of a defender sprinting like a winger, shrugging off challenges and maintaining composure when it mattered.
Van de Ven’s backstory makes the strike even richer.
Signed for £34m from Wolfsburg in 2023, the 24‑year‑old has been adding goals to his armoury all season from the Super Cup to Premier League weeks but nothing matched Tuesday’s rush. He described the run in simple terms: he started dribbling, felt the pace, and realised nobody was catching him.
The result was a rare hybrid: defender’s discipline, sprinter’s speed and striker’s cool.
The goal arrived at a perfect moment. Tottenham had stumbled at home to Chelsea days earlier and needed a statement; Van de Ven’s solo special did more than seal a 4-0 win, it reignited confidence and silenced doubt.
Brennan Johnson’s opener and João Palhinha’s late strike ensured the result, but it was that single, ridiculous run that defined the night and gave Spurs a highlight to clutch through the season.
On the back of the spectacle, Frank joked that Van de Ven could keep walking past him if that’s how he wanted to say sorry for earlier touchline tensions, and why not? When a centre‑half produces a goal worthy of comparison with Messi and Son’s famed Puskás winner, etiquette takes a back seat.
For now, Tottenham fans and neutrals alike will remember a night when Micky ran, scored and stole the headlines
