Micky van de Ven Named Tottenham's New Captain

Roberto De Zerbi has handed the armband to Micky van de Ven as Tottenham prepare to launch their Premier League campaign, with the Italian manager unveiling a five-man leadership group on the eve of the new season.

Van de Ven, fresh from signing a new contract, steps up as club captain after Cristian Romero’s move to Atletico Madrid earlier this month. The Dutch defender will be backed by a hierarchy that underlines De Zerbi’s desire for voices and authority all over the pitch.

“The new captain is Micky van de Ven. The second Pedro Porro, the third Ben Davies, the fourth James Maddison and the fifth Archie Gray,” De Zerbi confirmed.

He wants no confusion about why the list is so long.

“Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch and to be clear in the position,” he explained. “Every one of them deserves to be captain or in the group of the captains, but personality and passion is not if you are captain or not captain.”

Porro, a World Cup winner, and Archie Gray are the fresh faces in the group, stepping in for Romero and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Vicario has joined Juventus on loan and is not expected to return, leaving another gap in the old guard that De Zerbi has chosen to fill with shared responsibility rather than a single dominant figure.

A New Season, With Old Scars

This is not just a new captaincy structure. For Spurs and De Zerbi, it feels like a reset.

They survived by the skin of their teeth on the final day of last season, avoiding relegation in a campaign that left deep marks on players, staff and supporters. De Zerbi has no intention of airbrushing that struggle from the club’s memory.

“[It’s been a] very intense three months, but I think we can't forget what happened,” he said. “Last season is a big lesson for us. We have to go on another page and start an important season.”

That balance – remembering the pain while refusing to be defined by it – is at the heart of his message. He talks about a “new project”, but not as a slogan. For him, it comes down to identity and detail.

“We're building a new project. The first two targets is very clear in ourselves is to find the soul of the team. Second target to improve in our organisation with and without the ball. Our style has to be the key of our season.”

So the blueprint is set. A rebuilt leadership group. A demand for a recognisable style. A manager who insists the scars of last season stay visible.

Now it’s up to Van de Ven and his fellow captains to turn that vision into something Spurs can actually trust when the pressure returns.