Micky van de Ven has been lauded by a former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool star following his top-class performance during the victory over Nottingham Forest.

Van De Ven looked dominant once again versus Forest, as he used his pace and strength to help Tottenham record a 3-1 home win and go back into the Premier League's top four. The centre-back even netted a fantastic goal to give Tottenham a 2-1 lead, rifling into the top corner on his left foot after being played in by skipper Son Heung-min.

Van De Ven only joined Tottenham last summer but he is already integral to the way Ange Postecoglou wants to play.

The mobility of Van De Ven and his centre-half partner Cristian Romero allows other players such as Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro and Pape Sarr to maraud forward.

Tottenham paid Wolfsburg an initial PS34million to sign the Netherlands star, while the deal could rise to PS43m through add-ons. Van De Ven's exceptional performances since then mean he has to be considered as one of the signings of the season.

Jamie Redknapp is one of several pundits who has been very impressed by Van De Ven this campaign.

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On Sky Sports, Redknapp stated that the 22-year-old has overtaken where Liverpool hero Virgil van Dijk was at the same age, while the Spurs star has also matched the classy performances of Arsenal defender William Saliba.

"'Arsenal fans will look at Saliba who is a great young defender as well, but I think this guy's equally as good. He's got everything going for him," the former midfielder said.

Tottenham player can 'emulate Virgil van Dijk' "You see the difference when Spurs lost him when he had his hamstring injuries. I think if he stays injury free there's no reason why he can't almost emulate what Virgil van Dijk's done.

"When Virgil was a similar age, Virgil wasn't producing the performances that he is right now.

"He's only going to get better, as long as he doesn't get too many injuries along the way because that can affect with the hamstrings and the speed that he's got. But he's a top player, he really is."

Van Dijk himself has admitted to being a late bloomer, having signed for Liverpool at the age of 26 in January 2018.

Despite this, Van De Ven still has a long way to go to match the accomplishments of his Dutch counterpart. Van Dijk has played a crucial role in Liverpool winning major silverware such as the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

When Van Dijk does eventually hang up his boots - he is now 32 - Van De Ven and Saliba are likely to battle it out for the honour of being the best defender in the Premier League.