'It was like if Messi turned into a centre-back' – Frank in awe at Van de Ven stunner
Micky van de Ven scored a stunning solo goal as Tottenham ran riot against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Thomas Frank quipped that Micky van de Ven's goal was as if Lionel Messi turned into a centre-back, after the Tottenham defender's stunner against FC Copenhagen.
Spurs cruised to a 4-0 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, despite Brennan Johnson seeing red.
Johnson opened the scoring with Spurs' earliest Champions League goal since 2019, before Wilson Odobert became the club's third-youngest scorer in the competition.
Yet, Johnson became the first ever British player to score and be sent off in the same Champions League game in the 57th minute, only for Van de Ven and Joao Palhinha to continue the rout.
Van de Ven's goal was an instant classic, as the centre-back picked up possession on the edge of Spurs' box, charged forward to the cusp of Copenhagen's area, and drilled home at the near post.
"That could be the goal of the season!" a jubilant Frank, who had faced some scrutiny after a run of just one win in four games, told TNT Sports.
"It was like if Messi turned into a centre-back."
Van de Ven's defensive partner Cristian Romero also stepped up, playing a fine pass into Palhinha for Spurs' fourth goal.
"It seems like Romero didn't want to stand down for his other centre-back mate, too, that was also a great goal," said Frank.
Spurs were poor in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, but Frank was delighted with his team's mentality.
"I am very happy with a lot of things. I think in life and football, after a bad performance or situation, it is about how you react," he said.
"We call it a bounce-back mentality, and our players have had a great bounce-back mentality in the last few days. They have wanted to turn things around and win, which we did.
"I think it was an impressive win because we controlled the game from minute one. We got the red card and the players found another level, which was super impressive."
Van de Ven has scored six goals across all competitions for Tottenham in 2025-26, with Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo the only defender to net more for a top-five European side (seven).
"That is, for sure, what we needed after a tough one at the weekend. We needed to bounce back, and we did," the Dutchman told TNT Sports.
