Mohammed Kudus Reveals His Fury During Explosive Micky van de Ven Clash That Sparked Red Card Drama
When asked about his initial encounter with Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus breaks into laughter.
Both players are now crucial components of Thomas Frank's current Tottenham Hotspur squad, but their most memorable interaction occurred in October 2024 when Kudus, playing for West Ham United at the time, received a red card following an altercation with his now-teammate.
Kudus had put the Hammers ahead in the 18th minute of this particularly heated London derby before Spurs leveled through Dejan Kulusevski. The match was fairly balanced at 1–1 when the teams went into halftime. West Ham completely fell apart in the second half, conceding three goals within eight minutes, two of which were witnessed by three West Ham substitutes who remained stranded on the sideline as their teammates crumbled.
The collective meltdown was capped off in the dying minutes by Kudus himself. Tottenham's adventurous center-back Van de Ven intercepted another weak West Ham attack and launched a counter-attack of his own, which the visitors' frustrated star player rudely stopped. Down 4–1 to their biggest rivals away from home, Kudus had been seeing red for some time by then.
"I was absolutely livid during that match," he confides to Sports Illustrated, the anger still evident nearly a year on, "and I just lost it immediately."
After knocking Van de Ven to the ground, Kudus kicked the ball twice while it was trapped beneath his fallen opponent. The towering Dutchman quickly got back up to face Kudus, who then shoved the heel of his hand into Van de Ven's face. Players from both teams quickly gathered around the incident, and Spurs midfielder Pape Matar Sarr also received a hand to the face from Kudus during the melee.
What might have been an uncomfortable first meeting at Tottenham's training facility this summer was quickly resolved. "What happens during matches remains on the field," Kudus explains.
"It's finished once the final whistle blows. It's great playing alongside him now. Football is a small community. So you just try to make amends and move forward."
Kudus, Van de Ven Central to Tottenham Goals
A distinct nucleus has already formed at Tottenham during Frank's initial weeks as manager. With Van de Ven partnering captain Cristian Romero to provide defensive stability, Kudus has quickly positioned himself as the dynamic attacking catalyst.
During the first five weeks of the new Premier League campaign, Tottenham's £55 million ($74.1 million) summer signing has generated a team-leading 12 scoring opportunities, surpassing what Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert or Richarlison produced throughout the entire 2024–25 season.
Building upon that encouraging beginning to his north London career, Kudus has a specific objective: "Securing silverware."
The current Europa League holders earned their spot in Europe's top club tournament following last season's victory over Manchester United. However, that achievement immediately followed a 17-year trophy-less period.
"We're competing in nearly every tournament this season; Premier League, Champions League, all domestic cups in England, so claiming a trophy would constitute a successful campaign," Kudus explains. His aspirations extend beyond that though. "Additionally, securing a top-four finish is also a very achievable target for us this season, earning qualification for next year's Champions League."
Given that Spurs concluded last season in 17th position, three spots below Kudus's former West Ham team, these two former adversaries turned allies will need to sustain their excellent form to spearhead a climb toward fourth place.