Tottenham star Micky van de Ven 'won't support West Ham' as rivals sent warning

Micky van de Ven is leaving no stone unturned in the race for Champions League football - in his view, it's fourth or bust. Tottenham's speedy central defender is gearing up for a frantic sprint to the finish and will not settle for fifth place behind Aston Villa - even if it could still prove enough to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. When asked whether Spurs are keeping on top of the complexities surrounding UEFA coefficient points, Van de Ven said: "Of course, you are speaking about it because you know that maybe fifth place is going to be enough. But we are not focusing on fifth. We want to be fourth or even higher. We just want to make sure that at the end of the season, we don't have to look at how everything went with the list." Italy currently top the coefficient rankings but the second bonus Champions League qualification spot has become a straight shootout between England and Germany, who currently lead the chase.

Van de Ven quickly refutes any suggestion he'll be tuning into West Ham's upcoming Europa League showdown with Bundesliga table-toppers Bayer Leverkusen in anticipation, however, he also recognises how significant the quarter-final clash could prove to be for Tottenham. He continued: "You look at it but it's not like I'll be supporting West Ham. It's not that deep. We just want to finish in a position where we are sure we'll be playing Champions League football next year." The fitness of the indispensable 22-year-old, who epitomises the youthful energy at the heart of Ange Postecoglou's exciting revolution, will undoubtedly prove imperative to Tottenham's fortunes.

Spurs were top of the pile before their £43million summer signing sustained a serious hamstring injury in the shock 4-1 defeat