Image Credit: talkSPORT
By Lee Clow
26th July 2020 | Premier League
Defender Jan Vertonghen has left Tottenham Hotspur after eight years, following the end of his contract.
The Belgium centre back was signed by Andre Villas-Boas for Spurs in 2012 from Ajax for £12 million. Vertonghen took the number 5 jersey before making himself a key figure in the heart of defence.
In his first season at the club, Vertonghen was voted in the PFA Team of the Year following impressive performances, in which he found the back of the net six times from central defence.
At the end of the 2014/15 season, Spurs and Vertonghen reached the League Cup Final, but they were defeated 2-0 by Chelsea under the rein of future manager Jose Mourinho.
In 2015, Vertonghen was reunited with former Ajax teammate and compatriot Toby Alderweireld, following his transfer from Southampton. The pair was a staple in the Tottenham defence and soon became impenetrable with the side only conceding 35 goals in the 2015/16 season and 26 goals in the 2016/17 season.
After an impressive four years, “SuperJan”, as many Spurs fans call him, was rewarded with a brand new deal, keeping him at the club until 2019.
As he did in his first season, Vertonghen was once again voted in the PFA Team of the Year for his superb performances during the 2017/18 season. During the season, Vertonghen developed a good partnership in defence with new signing Davinson Sanchez, with Alderweireld out injured for majority of the season.
One of Vertonghen’s standout performances in a Spurs shirt came in a UEFA Champions League knockout game against Borussia Dortmund, where Spurs won 3-0 at Wembley. Vertonghen was forced to play left wing back that day, following injuries to Ben Davies and Danny Rose, but this did appear to be a problem as the Belgian put in a Man of the Match display, in which he assisted Heung-Min Son’s opener with a wicked cross, as well as thump home a volley for Tottenham’s. second goal.
Following their impressive performances against Dortmund in The Round Of 16 of the Champions League, Tottenham went from strength to strength as they progressed through to the final where they would play Liverpool in Madrid. Vertonghen played a key part in Tottenham’s run to the final, featuring in every game including an tense tie against Manchester City and a miracle comeback against former club Ajax.
In the final, Vertonghen was selected in the Tottenham team, playing alongside Alderweireld in defence. Despite Tottenham’s best efforts, they were unable to defeat Liverpool as the Merseyside club came out victorious by a score of 2-0, making them Champions of Europe. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Vertonghen was voted in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Tournament.
With his contract about to end, Vertonghen signed a one year extension, keeping him on for the 2019/20 season.
During the 2019/20 season, Vertonghen was in and out of the team with Tottenham’s defence a shadow of their former selves. Vertonghen scored two goals during the season with one being a last minute winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Vertonghen last game for Spurs came on the final day of the 2019/20 season where he named as a substitute against Crystal Palace. The Belgian certainly would have had a standing ovation by the Spurs supporters if it wasn’t for the Coronavirus pandemic, however he was given a lovely send off by his fellow teammates.
In the eight years at White Hart Lane, Vertonghen made a total of 315 appearances, scoring 14 goals. The Belgian will certainly go down in Tottenham history and be regarded as a club legend with him only unfortunate not to win a trophy with the North London side.
Along with Vertonghen’s exit, fellow teammate Michel Vorm has also departed Tottenham with his contract now expired. The veteran Dutch goalkeeper has been at Spurs since 2014 and has been a reliable backup to Hugo Lloris. Vorm made a total of 48 appearances over six years for Tottenham, mainly featuring in cup competitions for the club.
What’s next?
With the Premier League finally over following its restart six weeks ago, attention now turns to the Champions League which is still yet to be completed. The Premier League will return for the 2020/21 season on September 12.
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