“It’s really good that you can see the club has made some changes,” Van de Ven told BBC Sport in July.
“You can see the club has a new ambition. It’s something that’s really important for players who have been here for a long time.
“Last season was a stressful season, unacceptable from our side, so to leave all of that behind and go into the new season fresh means a lot.”
Tottenham have finished 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back seasons and their battle to stay in the top flight ran to the final day of the 2025-2026 campaign.
After a turbulent nine months featuring three managers, Van de Ven said he is looking forward to a brighter future under De Zerbi.
“It’s going to be different compared to the manager we had last season,” Van de Ven said.
“It’s also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we’ll be playing offensive football.
“It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down.”