Jan Vertonghen’s mother is used to some attention from the Belgian media. There’s a great deal of good feeling towards the family, and when Vertonghen’s mum once dropped him off at the Belgian national camp in a Toyota almost 10 years old, it was a sharp contrast to the cars of his teammates.
That old red Toyota is still owned by the family, and there’s an emotional connection to it. Vertonghen’s mother has told HLN the car was bought the month the Tottenham defender’s father died after a long illness.
Whilst the most raw grief has now passed, following the death in 2007, Vertonghen’s father still plays a part in family get-togethers, a topic of conversation and an important driver of the defender’s career.
Vertonghen is on the verge of breaking the record as Belgium’s most capped player, a source of pride, but not something his mother is going to get carried away with.
After all, as Ria told HLN, there are younger Belgians who would be expected to break the record once Vertonghen has retired.
It’s the player’s career as a whole which brings the greater pride.
When asked what she hopes Vertonghen can still achieve, the Tottenham player’s mother explained: “That he can remain healthy and injury-free, so that he can go further on this level. And if he can not, maybe at a lower level… We’ll see. It would be nice if he could go back to Ajax, but if he doesn’t compete with Tottenham, why would Ajax succeed? With the national team I hope for a World Cup final in Russia, or world champion… Hope, because soberly, a quarter-final is already not bad.”
A return to Ajax may be fitting for Vertonghen’s final transfer, but not just yet. The 30 year old still has an important role to play for Spurs, even if Mauricio Pochettino has shown the club are looking towards the future.
Jan, returning to Amsterdam, close to home, could be perfect for the whole, close, and now extended family.
