Tottenham Hotspur favourite Toby Alderweireld has detailed how his footballing career came at the cost of his family.
Gazete van Antwerp have an interview with the defender today. He discusses some of the major impacts his football career had, particularly when it came to his children.
Alderweireld retired from professional football in July last year following a final season with Antwerp in his homeland.
His career before that had spanned multiple top European leagues, with his six-year tenure at Tottenham from 2015 to 2021 the most celebrated period.
Alderweireld joined them from Atlético Madrid in July 2015 after previously impressing at Southampton on loan the previous year. He went on to become a cornerstone of the golden generation at Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino.
That saw him form a formidable defensive partnership with fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen at the heart of Spurs’ defence. The 2016/17 season saw them concede just 26 goals, which remains a Tottenham record.
How Tottenham success came at a cost
Toby Alderweireld was a near constant presence in Tottenham’s starting XI during that six-year period, making 236 appearances in total. And it was a happy period, to say the least. But it seems that came at a personal cost, particularly around the births of his children.
“I played a match, came back to Belgium, and was there for the birth,” he said.
“And the next day, I had to leave again. When Ayla was born, I had to go straight to Scotland, then Iceland with the national team, and then back to England. It took at least two weeks before I saw my child again. I hated the world back then; that’s not normal.”
Multiple personal sacrifices
Alderweireld also had to leave immediately after the birth of his son Jace.
“The next day, a private jet was supposed to fly me to Birmingham, where we were playing against Aston Villa,” he added.
“But there was a storm, so the private jet couldn’t fly. I then had to take the train from Antwerp to London, where a taxi was waiting to take me to Birmingham to play the next day.
“After ten minutes, I scored an own goal. I scored after that, and we won. I was in the mindset of I’m a soldier, they need me, so I’m going.
“But in retrospect, I think: why was I able to switch that switch so quickly? Football has given me everything, and I’m grateful. But it has also taken a lot away. Especially that time with my children.”
