Tottenham achieved history on Wednesday night in Bilbao, outlasting Manchester United 1-0 in a Europa League Final slugfest between the two most disappointing teams in the Premier League. But amidst the victorious scenes in Spain, all was forgiven and forgotten in Tottenham, with Ange Postecoglou clowning the media and Ruben Amorim for a change.
The credit for Spurs clean sheet victory will be shared among a variety of players, including goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and opportune goal-scorer extraordinaire Brennan Johnson.
However, for my money, there wasn't a more impressive or important player for Tottenham than Micky van de Ven. Though the transfer rumor mill has put the focus on Cristian Romero, who was also excellent in the Final, Van de Ven has been the standout defender of the high-quality Tottenham back four.
Tottenham wouldn't have won without their true best defender
The Dutchman was beyond world-class on Wednesday night, delivering one of the best games by a Tottenham player this season on the brightest stage. He fully deserves to be mentioned among the best center backs in the world - not just the best young center backs or even the best center backs in the Premier League.
Van de Ven blocked two shots, including one goal-line clearance that saved a sure-fire goal and was easily the highlight of the night. Goals saved are just as important as goals scored, and the heroics Van de Ven displayed in that moment will 100 percent live on in Tottenham lore.
It wasn't just about the key moment, though that was obviously worth its weight in gold-plated platinum. Van de Ven was tremendous from an all-around perspective defensively. He made Rasmus Hojlund his son, marking him almost completely out of the game. The Manchester United attack of Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes was hopeless in the face of VdV, who commands his box and reads the game with far more suave than the average 24-year-old center back.
Every single great team in the history of this game was built around a world-class center back. Whether it was Lucio at Inter Milan, Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, or John Terry at Chelsea, the best teams in top leagues and Europe were buoyed by a great athlete and leader at the back.
Van de Ven is that guy for Tottenham. He has been that guy since stepping foot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and all he ever does, no matter the adversity his club is in or the stage of the game, is show up and prove that he's the right man to build a future around.
Amidst all the bright spots and all the stars with the whole world watching, it was Van de Ven who made the Europa League Final his stage. From lighting the Bundesliga up at Wolfsburg, Van de Ven has become one of the world's finest central defenders already at Tottenham, and, very soon, he will receive more than the fraction of the credit he is currently getting.