Micky van de Ven has been appointed Tottenham’s new captain, Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed.

The Dutch centre-back, who agreed a new long-term contract earlier this month, replaces Cristian Romero after his move to Atletico Madrid last week.

Van de Ven forms part of a five-player leadership group alongside Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and 20-year-old Archie Gray. Gray could wear the armband at Brentford on Saturday, as Van de Ven and Porro are not ready to start.

De Zerbi said: "The new captain is Micky van de Ven. The second Pedro Porro, the third Ben Davies, the fourth James Maddison and the fifth Archie Gray.

"Why five captains? Just because I want many captains inside of the pitch and to be clear in the position.

"Every one of them deserves to be captain or in the group of the captains, but personality and passion is not if you are captain or not captain."

Romero announced his Tottenham exit last week shortly before his move to Spain was officially confirmed. The Argentine defender released a lengthy statement to Spurs fans after calling time on his five-year stay in north London as he admitted “the journey wasn’t perfect”.

“Today, I say goodbye to a place that, for five seasons, was much more than a club,” Romero wrote on Instagram.

He added: “It was my home, my challenge and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.

“I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together.

“When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did it.

“The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.

“Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me.

“I know I wasn’t perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.

“Thank you for everything. I’m leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever.

“With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye Spurs.”