Five years ago, Tottenham were dealt a hugely unfortunate hand. Despite finishing fourth in the Premier League, they lost their Champions League place to Chelsea, who, against all the odds, secured continental glory at Bayern Munich’s expense. As such, Chelsea took Spurs’ place in Europe’s elite club competition and a summer that promised so much could well have delivered so little. Yet, the north London side still splashed the cash to strengthen the squad accordingly.
Under the watchful eye of Andre Villas-Boas, in came Mousa Dembele, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen, among others. The Portuguese promised much at White Hart Lane, yet was relieved of his duties 18 months later and was succeeded by Tim Sherwood at the north London helm. Such uncertainty threatened to derail the good work set out by Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy, with Sherwood’s appointment in particular ruffling feathers in the dressing room and the stands.
It was a quandary that could have seen a number of key players depart, with Vertonghen one of those who seriously considered his future at the club. However, with Mauricio Pochettino in charge, vital first team members rapidly opted to extend their stay at the club, one of whom was Vertonghen. The Belgium international put pen to paper on a new contract at the end of 2016, with his new deal running until 2019. His signing was perhaps one of the more important for Spurs, both in 2012 and again at the end of last year.
Last season was arguably the 30-year-old’s best in north London since his arrival from Ajax. Impressively still was that he started alongside compatriot Toby Alderweireld on just 25 occasions. The Belgian axis is one of the finest centre-back partnerships in the Premier League, with Spurs winning 20 of the 25 games Vertonghen and Alderweireld started together last term. Yet, in was in the latter’s absence that the former really rose to the fore.
Alderweireld is arguably one of the best in his position in England’s top tier, so Spurs fans understandably fretted when he was sidelined for the best part of two months. Without their star centre-back, Spurs could have crumbled defensively, but Alderweireld’s absence allowed for Vertonghen to grow as a player and leader at the back. When Spurs announced voting had opened for their player of the season award, many would not have begrudged Vertonghen winning the award given his stellar showings at the back.
Indeed, he was top for passes per game (62.2) and clearances per game (7) of all Spurs players in the Premier League last season, while only Ashley Williams (2068) has made more accurate passes in his own half than Vertonghen (1980) in the last two English top-flight campaigns. Pochettino has assembled a possession-based machine and demands defenders play the ball out from the back where possible, with Vertonghen excelling in this regard.
That being said, he’s also acted accordingly to eradicate the error-prone side to his game that plagued the Belgium international during Spurs’ downturn in fortunes under Villas-Boas and Sherwood. His average of seven clearances per game highlights a knack for being in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the Spurs goal. This has been vital in Vertonghen’s development as a centre-back as he has become more aware of his surroundings on the pitch and helped improve his decision-making, with Pochettino deserving credit as a result.
A willingness to break forward from defence also played a vital role in a successful season for Vertonghen, particularly when Spurs played a three-man defence. When the left wing-back would push upfield, it offered the 30-year-old the sufficient space to carry the ball into midfield and drive Spurs on to attack opponents. It was a significantly different approach to Alderweireld, who averaged 0.1 successful dribbles per game to Vertonghen’s 0.8, but the former’s more conservative approach allowed for the latter to carry possession forward, yet as a result did not leave Spurs short in defence.
Signed five years ago for a little over £10m, in what is a steal in today’s inflated market, it’s only now that Vertonghen is perhaps beginning to realise his full potential. His performances were understated on occasion, but he played as vital a role as any in Spurs’ highest ever Premier League finish. Premier League aficionados argue that Alderweireld is the club’s standout centre-back, but Vertonghen overshadowed his performances last term.
