“Simply an excellent player” – Calls for Aston Villa man to replace Tottenham star

Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen has called for Aston Villa left-back Ian Maatsen to replace Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven in the Netherlands national team. Speaking on De Telegraaf's Kick Off Podcast, Driessen criticized Van de Ven's performances at left-back across three consecutive international fixtures, urging for a natural specialist to take the role instead.

Van de Ven played 90 minutes at left-back in matches against Germany, Serbia, and Greece despite playing primarily as a center-back for Tottenham. Driessen argued that Maatsen offers superior technical comfort on the ball, noting Maatsen now has a clearer path to regular club minutes at Aston Villa following Lucas Digne's summer departure.