Tottenham Hotspur captain Van de Ven was recently interviewed by ESPN for their latest "20 Questions" segment. In the first part of the interview, Van de Ven discussed his childhood idol Puyol, his goal-line clearance in the Europa League final, the former Spurs player he'd most like to bring back, his contract extension with Spurs, and his expectations for the team's future.
Reporter: Hey everyone, it's your old friend Ralph, and I'm back. And of course, I've brought a brand new episode of "20 Questions." This time, sitting next to me is the one and only Micky Van de Ven. How have you been, mate?
Van de Ven: I'm good, mate. How are you?
Reporter: All good, mate. Great to see you. You're looking incredibly sharp today, best dressed in the room. I walked in and saw your outfit, and I thought, "Man, I'm always being outshone; I need to step up my fashion game."
Van de Ven: No way. You look pretty good in that, don't you?
Reporter: Too casual, mate. Just...
Van de Ven: Sometimes casual is good, mate; you don't need to try too hard.
Reporter: Good point, good point. Without further ado, let's get straight to it. I have 20 questions for you. Are you ready?
Van de Ven: I'm ready.
Reporter: Great. Question one: Who was your favorite player growing up? Who was your idol?
Van de Ven: Growing up, my answer has always been Puyol.
Reporter: Have you ever had the chance to meet him in person? Have you met him before?
Van de Ven: No, I've never met him, not once.
Reporter: If you did meet him, do you think you'd instantly turn into a star-struck fan?
Van de Ven: Maybe a little bit.
Reporter: Even if just a little bit, right?
Van de Ven: Yeah, maybe just a little bit.
Reporter: Question two: How iconic was your goal-line clearance in the Europa League final? What are your memories of that moment?
Van de Ven: That was indeed a huge moment. Mainly because so many people come up to me and talk about that goal-line clearance over and over again.
Reporter: It must have felt just like scoring a goal, honestly, just as valuable as a goal, right?
Van de Ven: Yes, I think in terms of significance, it's pretty similar. But at the time, when I made the goal-line clearance, I was still inside the goal, and the game was still going on, so at that moment, you didn't even have time to realize...
Reporter: Oh right, because you injured yourself then, didn't you?
Van de Ven: Yes, at that moment, you couldn't feel what was happening. But looking back, it was indeed a very significant save.
Reporter: Question three: Who is your best friend in football? Will this question get you into trouble?
Van de Ven: No, no, I don't think so. Deli-John Murkin. He currently plays for Derby County.
Reporter: Question four: Past or present, who is one sports person you would most like to meet?
Van de Ven: Michael Jordan.
Reporter: Really?
Van de Ven: Yes, a long time ago, I watched the documentary "The Last Dance." Have you seen it?
Reporter: That's an ESPN documentary, by the way. Thanks for promoting it here.
Van de Ven: You're welcome, my friend. After watching that documentary, I just felt that this man is truly extraordinary.
Reporter: Question five: One word to describe Roberto De Zerbi?
Van de Ven: Top-class.
Reporter: Top-class. I agree with that answer. Question six: What's your favorite Call of Duty map?
Van de Ven: Mate, I only play Verdansk, and Warzone Resurgence. I play Resurgence a lot.
Reporter: Really?
Van de Ven: Yes.
Reporter: I'm terrible at Call of Duty; I've never been good at it. That's a real hardcore gamer's game.
Van de Ven: It really is, it really is.
Reporter: What kind of player are you?
Van de Ven: I like to push forward and go for direct gunfights.
Reporter: You like to push up directly?
Van de Ven: Camping on a rooftop is too boring, you know what I mean.
Reporter: Question seven: Who among your teammates do you think is most likely to camp?
Van de Ven: Let me think. In the national team, I'd pick Jerdy Schouten. Mate, he never moves when he plays; he just stays in one spot the whole game. And at Tottenham, everyone is pretty much...
Reporter: All-out assault type?
Van de Ven: Yes, I often play with Gray, and he's also the type to just charge in and fight directly.
Reporter: Question eight: Who is the biggest celebrity in your phone contacts?
Van de Ven: I think it would be Virgil Van Dijk.
Reporter: Question nine: If you could bring back one former Tottenham player from any era, who would you choose?
Van de Ven: I'd bring back Kane.
Reporter: Harry, right? Too dangerous; he's absolutely a lethal player. The crazy thing is...
Van de Ven: Yeah, guaranteed 30+ goals a year, consistently.
Reporter: Incredible. Absolutely no doubt about it. But I'm an Arsenal fan.
Van de Ven: (laughs)
Reporter: Last week, I asked him which of his career goals for the team was his favorite. I asked him to pick three, but he didn't mention... there was one time he scored from an incredible angle. I remember it was at White Hart Lane against Arsenal, and he was wearing a protective mask. A thunderous shot straight into the top corner, and when I brought it up, he acted like, "Oh, I guess that happened." I thought, that goal absolutely ruined my entire day and still bothers me, and he didn't even care.
Question ten: You recently extended your contract with Tottenham and captioned your social media post with "We're not done yet." What are your expectations for this new chapter, and did it take a lot of convincing from the team to make you stay?
Van de Ven: Obviously, I've always loved Tottenham. So when I see the team's form, the coach's approach, and the club's long-term plans in signing new players and everything they're trying to build, it was a very natural and easy decision to convince me to stay at Tottenham long-term. I hope we can achieve great things. We've already won the Europa League, and obviously, we're hungry for more trophies, but I can't speak too soon now because we've also had some frustrating moments in the league over the past two seasons. So we need to stay calm, give our all this season, and build on that to move steadily forward.
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