After Alexander Isak broke his leg in Liverpool's victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven opened up about his text exchange with the Swede following his damaging challenge
Patrick Austen-Hardy Senior Sports Journalist and Ian Doyle
17:09, 24 Dec 2025Updated 17:09, 24 Dec 2025
Micky van de Ven tells Sky Sports that he has reached out to Alexander Isak
View 3 Images
Micky van de Ven opened up about his unfortunate tackle on Alexander Isak(Image: Sky Sports)
Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has suggested Alexander Isak has forgiven him for the challenge which broke the Liverpool forward's leg.
Isak, 26, went under the knife on Monday to after suffering a fractured left fibula. His painful injury was caused by Van de Ven's attempt of blocking the £125million forward's opening goal against Spurs.
Isak's strike proved to be crucial as it helped Arne Slot's side win 2-1 in north London. Slot was furious with the Dutchman's tackle, accusing him of being reckless, while Thomas Frank rejected the Liverpool boss' stern condemnation. Despite the comments of both managers, Van de Ven reached out to Isak to apologise for what happened.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£49
£35
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
The Netherlands international detailed the conversation he had with Isak once the severity of the injury became clear.
He told Sky Sports: "Yeah, I've texted him, of course. I sent him a text because I didn't want to injure him. I didn't want to do something to hurt him, of course.
"I just wanted to try to block the shot and I think it was a bit unlucky how his foot landed between my legs. So yeah, I sent him a text afterwards, and I wanted to wish him all the best for his recovery. That's what I said to him. He really appreciated the message. He texted back."
Isak now faces several months out of action following the latest blow in what has been a challenging campaign since his British record £125m move from Newcastle United at the beginning of September.
TOPSHOT - Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (R) shoots to score the opening goal for 0-1 as Tottenham Hotspur's Dutch defender #37 Micky van de Ven (L) challenges during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
View 3 Images
Micky van de Ven's challenge saw Alexander Isak break his leg in the act of scoring(Image: JUSTIN TALLIS, AFP via Getty Images)
Slot was furious with the tackle which resulted in Isak being helped off the pitch. The former Feyenoord manager said: "This was for me a reckless challenge. I think I said a lot about the challenge of Xavi Simons (on Virgil van Dijk, for which he was sent off), which for me was completely unintentional.
"I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that. The tackle of Van de Ven, if you make that tackle 10 times, I think 10 times there's a serious chance that a player gets a serious injury."
But Frank insisted the anger is misplaced as Van de Ven had every right to make a challenge, before stating Isak's leg break was down to an unfortunate landing, rather than any force from the central defender. The ex-Brentford manager said: "I am obviously disagreeing (with Slot) in many ways.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Alexander Isak of Liverpool leaves the game injured during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Isak looks set to miss months of football(Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)
"We are talking about a defender that will do everything he can to avoid the goal. It is a transition, there is a ball down the side and he is doing everything he can to block the shot so he is sliding.
"Unfortunately Isak plants his foot so it makes it look worse than it is, but that is a natural action for a defender. Put it this way, if my defender does not do that, they are not true defenders!
Article continues below
"Reckless challenge? I don't think you see anything like that from Micky. He is very fair and I know the two players have sorted it out, so that's a good sign."