Why Micky van de Ven wears the number 37 | OneFootball

Instead of going down the more ‘traditional’ route of picking a defensive shirt number, Tottenham Hotspur ace Micky van de Ven has revealed the heart-warming reason behind why he opted to wear number 37 upon his arrival on the white side of north London.

Quickly establishing himself as one of the most dominating centre backs currently in the Premier League, Spurs fans will be counting their lucky stars that Ange Postecoglou and his entourage decided to shell out £43 million for his signature in the 2023 summer transfer window.

Astute in his passing, lightning-quick and a very good defender, Van de Ven is the full package, but his unusual number is the most striking aspect about his domineering appearance – and it certainly raised a few eyebrows when he tipped up to his current employers in August, though it's interesting to learn that he dedicates his atypical choice to his late friend.

Van de Ven's shirt number a tribute

'To be honest, it's for him'

Typically, as alluded to earlier, centre-backs – both past and present – adorn a single-digit number on the back of their shirt. The trio of four, five and six are what fans are used to seeing when a central defender turns their back. But that’s not the case for Van de Ven.

The reason why is that it was the favourite number of his close friend, who sadly passed away during their younger years. Lifting the lid on the reason, the Dutchman revealed he pounced on the opportunity to wear the number that is incredibly personal to him, admitting that 'it's for him’, via MailOnline.

Interestingly, the two-cap Netherlands international did not buck the trend at former club VfL Wolfsburg with him wearing the no.5 shirt in 41 games. For boyhood club FC Volendam, the 22-year-old wore a whole host of numbers during his 48-game stint for the senior side: 4, 5, 15, 17, 18 and 24.

He is, however, not the only player current plying their trade in the English top tier who owes their shirt number to a memorable figure in their life. Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle United’s terrific engine room operator, chose number 39 upon his arrival at St James’ Park, all thanks to his father.

Dick Guimaraes, who used to be a taxi driver in his native Brazil, had a strong influence during the midfielder’s upbringing – and as such, the former Lyon man paid tribute to his father by choosing his car's dispatch number to be the one on the back of his strip when strutting his stuff in the middle of the park for the Magpies

Van de Ven's Tottenham career so far

He has just 16 appearances at Spurs

Inarguably, the Dutchman has been a vital player for Postecoglou's side this campaign and his importance was highlighted by how much Spurs sorely missed him when he was unavailable for selection for a two-month period after picking up a hamstring injury during Tottenham's 4-1 loss against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Now back fully fit and raring to go, the Wormer-born gem has slotted seamlessly back into a side currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table. Van de Ven arrived in the same summer as boss Postecoglou and has been integral in his employers' transformation from a side often scathed for the lacklustre style of play into a high-octane outfit capable of unnerving those at the summit.

At the time of writing, the 2001-born defender has chalked up just 16 appearances thanks to his nine-game absence between early November and the turn of the year - but one thing is for certain, the north London-based outfit have a long-term option in the heart of defence for years to come.