'It exploded!' - Micky van de Ven admits he might never score a better goal than 'viral' Champions League effort for Tottenham

The 24-year-old was responsible for a rare highlight during the Oranje's frustrating evening in Poland. In the 17th minute, he won the ball back deep in his own half, setting off on another length  of the field dribble that saw him ride multiple challenges before eventually winning a free kick in the attacking third. 

It inevitably drew comparisons to Van de Ven's exploits for his club, with journalists asking if he thought he could replicate his scarcely believable solo effort from the week prior. That prompted the rapid defender, who was playing as a left back in Ronald Koeman's side, to admit he will likely never top his effort against the Danish champions. 

Van de Ven called the reaction to his goal "chaos", revealing that he was inundated with messages after the game. 

When asked whether he thought he could re-create that famous moment, the Tottenham defender replied: "That would have been nice, wouldn't it? I have to say: at one point, when that guy made that sliding tackle, I thought: 'I can keep going.' But it was difficult to maintain that pace. A better goal than the last one will be tough.

He added: "It went viral. It was chaos. It exploded. I got it sent to me by all sorts of people, which was quite nice."

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Van de Ven did not pull any punches in his assessment of Netherlands' performance in Warsaw. The Oranje fell behind to a Jakub Kaminski goal in the 43rd minute, however, they quickly replied in the opening moments of the second half when Memphis Depay tucked home the rebound after Donyell Malen's header was saved. While the visitors enjoyed 58% of the ball, they struggled to create many meaningful chances, with Poland taking 14 shots compared to their six. Van de Ven said he and his teammates were too slow in their buildup. 

"I think we played with too little tempo," he said. "There were few deep runs and few moments where we created anything." 

Despite playing most of his club football in the centre of defence, the speedster has typically operated as a left back in Koeman's side. Arsenal's Jurrien Timber got the nod alongside Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the backline against Poland, while Nathan Ake, Mathis de Ligt and Jan Paul van Hecke all started from the bench, demonstrating the quality and depth Netherlands boast at the position. With so many options, Van de Ven is content to start from the left. 

"As far as I know, I'm simply considered a left-back," he said. 

The raw speed Van de Ven has exhibited throughout his career makes him a valuable asset to both club and country, regardless of his starting position. While he may never score another goal quite like that effort against Copenhagen, his marauding runs forward have provided other memorable game breaking interventions. Early on his Spurs career, his assist in a 3-0 away win at Manchester United where he reached a top speed of 37.12km/h, the fastest run of any player in the 2024-25 Premier League season, announced him to the English football public in spectacular style. Those moments, plus his reliable defensive performances, have sparked rumours that the Dutchman is set to sign a lucrative new deal in north London. 

With Netherlands all but guaranteed of a spot in next summer's World Cup, he will likely have the chance to demonstrate his freakish pace on the game's biggest stage. Oranje can confirm their spot in the tournament with a draw against Lithuania on Monday.