Tottenham star Micky van de Ven has insisted he’s not too fussed about being the fastest player in the Premier League, as the data saying proclaiming him as such is questioned.
The defender has been speaking to Algemeen Dagblad about the viral moment from the clash with Brentford, in which he recorded a top speed that put him faster than Usain Bolt.
The moment naturally went viral and led to plenty of praise for the centre-back, who has been earning plaudits since arriving at Tottenham in the summer.
Data from the game showed he had reached a top speed of 37.38 kilometres per hour, a number that made him the fastest in the Premier League.
That’s an interesting, albeit inconsequential achievement in the grand scheme of things and the data is now being questioned.
AD explain that the Premier League are partnered with a company called Genius Sports, who provide data to the league and pass it on to media companies, who believe it helps in audience engagement and retention.
The system is also used by FIFA, but the newspaper explains that a German university have found that the margin for error ‘increased considerably’ above speeds of 25km/hr, thus the data being provided to viewers may not be as accurate as is being presented.
And so, Van de Ven isn’t particularly concerned, with the Tottenham defender insisting his speed is a nice tool to have and nothing more than that.
“I knew I was fast. At Wolfsburg, my previous club, I also set a nice pace,” he said.
“It’s certainly a nice statistic. It immediately went viral. I expect that the equipment in the Premier League will be good.
“If you see how good the technology is, I assume that it is reasonably correct. Whether it is completely accurate, you dare, I don’t have to say.
“It’s just a nice weapon to have, but I’m not concerned with it at all.”
