Jan Vertonghen facts for kids
Vertonghen with the bronze medal for Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 April 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sint-Niklaas, Belgium | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, left-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | VK Tielrode | |||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Germinal Beerschot | |||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Ajax | 155 | (23) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | → RKC Waalwijk (loan) | 12 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2020 | Tottenham Hotspur | 232 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Benfica | 57 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Anderlecht | 64 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 520 | (36) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Belgium U16 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Belgium U21 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2024 | Belgium | 157 | (10) | |||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen is a famous Belgian former footballer. He was born on April 24, 1987. He mostly played as a centre-back, which is a defender who plays in the middle of the field. He could also play as a left-back, on the left side of the defense.
Vertonghen started his professional career at the Dutch club Ajax in 2006. He played 220 games for them and scored 28 goals. He was even the team captain from 2011 to 2012. During his time at Ajax, he won two Eredivisie titles (the top Dutch league) and two KNVB Cup titles (a cup competition). In 2012, he was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year, which is a big award.
In July 2012, Vertonghen moved to Tottenham Hotspur. He quickly became a key player and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in his first Premier League season. He played 315 games for Tottenham over eight years. He helped them reach the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, a huge achievement. In 2018, he was named the club's Player of the Year. After Tottenham, he played for Benfica in Portugal for two seasons. Then, in 2022, he joined Anderlecht in Belgium. He became the oldest player at Anderlecht at 37 years old, before he retired from football in 2025.
Jan Vertonghen also had a long and successful international career with the Belgian national team. He first played for Belgium in 2007. He played 157 games for his country, which is more than any other Belgian player! He was part of the Belgian teams that finished fourth at the 2008 Olympics and third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020. Vertonghen announced his retirement from international football in July 2024, after playing for Belgium for seventeen years.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Career
Jan Vertonghen was born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. His parents are Ria Mattheeuws and Paul Vertonghen. He has two brothers, Ward and Lode, who also played football.
Starting in Youth Teams
Vertonghen started playing football at VK Tielrode and then Germinal Beerschot. Later, he moved to the Netherlands to join the youth academy of Ajax, a famous Dutch club. He first played as a midfielder but then became a strong centre-back for Ajax.
A Memorable Goal
When he was playing for the Ajax reserve team, something funny happened in a cup game in 2006. It was his first home game at the Amsterdam Arena. He scored a goal that put Ajax 3–0 up. But he didn't mean to! He was trying to pass the ball back to the other team's goalkeeper because a teammate was hurt. Instead, the ball went into the goal. Because it was an accident, Ajax let the other team, Cambuur, score a goal in return.
Professional Club Career
Playing for Ajax
Vertonghen made his first team debut for Ajax on August 23, 2006, in a Champions League qualifying game. He played his first league game in a big 6–0 win.
Loan to RKC Waalwijk
After a few months, he was loaned to RKC Waalwijk, another Dutch team, for the rest of the 2006–07 season. He played 12 games and scored three goals for RKC. One of his goals was against his own club, Ajax, in a 2–2 draw. Even though he scored, he couldn't help RKC avoid being relegated to a lower league.
Becoming a Key Player at Ajax
Vertonghen returned to Ajax for the 2007–08 season. He was expected to become a star player. He signed a new contract that would keep him at Ajax until 2013. The 2008–09 season was when he really started to shine. He became a regular starter in central defense. He scored four goals in 26 games that season, including two goals in one match against Vitesse.
Captaincy and Success at Ajax
Under new coaches, Vertonghen continued to be a very important player for Ajax. When his teammate Thomas Vermaelen left, Vertonghen and fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld became the main central defenders. Fans loved them. Vertonghen was linked with big clubs like Barcelona and Milan, but he wanted to stay at Ajax.
In the 2011–12 Eredivisie season, Vertonghen became one of Ajax's best players. He showed he could play in many different positions. After a great season, he was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year. He was also made team captain by coach Frank de Boer. He led Ajax to win their second league title in a row, scoring eight goals in 31 league games.
Moving to Tottenham Hotspur
First Season in England
Throughout the 2011–12 season, there were many rumors that Vertonghen would join the English club Tottenham Hotspur. He said he really wanted to move to White Hart Lane, Tottenham's stadium. On July 12, 2012, Tottenham officially signed Vertonghen.
He played his first game for Tottenham in a friendly match on July 14. He scored his first goal for the club on September 26 in a cup game. Vertonghen scored his first Premier League goal against Manchester United in a famous 3–2 win at Old Trafford. He scored two goals in a game against Liverpool in March 2013. He was named the Premier League Player of the Month for March 2013. At the end of the season, Vertonghen was chosen for the 2012–13 PFA Team of the Year, which is a team of the best players in the league.
Playing with Toby Alderweireld
In the 2015–16 season, Vertonghen was joined in defense by his former Ajax teammate, Toby Alderweireld. They formed a very strong partnership in defense. Tottenham had one of the best defensive records in the Premier League that season. In January 2016, Vertonghen got a knee injury and was out for 11 weeks. He returned in April and helped Tottenham win 3–0 against Manchester United.
Later Years at Tottenham
On December 2, 2016, Vertonghen signed a new contract with Tottenham until 2019. In January 2017, he got another ankle injury, which kept him out for five weeks. He returned in February. That season, Vertonghen was part of a Tottenham defense that set a new club record for the fewest goals conceded in the Premier League. Many people thought he was one of the best defenders in the league.
In the 2018–19 season, Vertonghen scored Tottenham's first goal of the season in a 2–1 win against Newcastle United. He later suffered a hamstring injury and was out for two months. His contract was extended to 2020 in December 2018. In a Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund, Vertonghen played as a left wing-back, which is a less common position for him. He scored a goal and set up another in a 3–0 win. He was praised for his performance and named the Champions League Player of the Week.
In the Champions League semi-final against Ajax, he got a head injury after clashing heads with Toby Alderweireld. He played the next game wearing a protective mask and helped Tottenham win dramatically to reach their first Champions League final. Vertonghen later said that the head injury caused him dizziness and headaches for nine months, which affected his performance in his final season with Tottenham.
In his last season, 2019–20, Vertonghen scored a late winning goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On December 26, 2019, he played his 300th game for Tottenham. His contract ended on June 30, 2020, and he left the club as a free agent.
Playing for Benfica
On August 14, 2020, Vertonghen signed a three-year deal with Benfica, a club in Portugal. He made his debut on September 15 in a Champions League qualifying game, where he unfortunately scored an own goal in a 2–1 loss. Three days later, he played his first league game for Benfica. On December 3, 2020, he scored his first goal for Benfica in a Europa League match.
Joining Anderlecht and Retirement
On September 2, 2022, Vertonghen joined Anderlecht, a Belgian club, for free after leaving Benfica. He made his debut for Anderlecht on August 7, 2022. He scored his first goal for Anderlecht on September 18, 2022, with a powerful header in a 4–1 win.
Vertonghen first wore the captain's armband for Anderlecht on October 23, 2022. He became the official captain for the 2023–24 season. On December 11, 2023, he played his 50th game for Anderlecht.
On May 5, 2024, Vertonghen got a groin injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. His absence was a big reason why Anderlecht lost the league title. On July 18, 2024, he signed a one-year extension with Anderlecht. In March 2025, he announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the 2024–25 season. He played his very last professional match on May 18, 2025, against Club Brugge.
International Career for Belgium
Vertonghen played for Belgium's under-21 team starting in 2006. He made his debut for the senior national team on June 2, 2007. He also played for Belgium at the 2008 Olympics, where the team surprisingly finished in fourth place.
He became a regular player for Belgium during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored his first international goal in August 2009 in a friendly game. He often played as a left-back because other players were preferred in central defense.
On May 13, 2014, Vertonghen was chosen for Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In their first match, he caused a penalty, but Belgium still won 2–1. In the final group match, Vertonghen was the team captain and scored the winning goal as Belgium beat South Korea 1–0.
In 2016, he injured two ligaments in his ankle during training before a quarter-final match at UEFA Euro 2016. He missed that game, which Belgium lost.
On June 2, 2018, exactly eleven years after his international debut, Vertonghen earned his 100th international cap. He was the first Belgian player in history to reach this milestone! His mother presented him with the award.
At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Vertonghen scored a key goal in Belgium's comeback against Japan. Belgium was losing 2–0 but came back to win 3–2, with Vertonghen scoring the first goal of the comeback.
Vertonghen was also part of Belgium's squads for UEFA Euro 2020 (where they reached the quarter-finals) and the 2022 FIFA World Cup (where they were eliminated in the group stage).
On May 28, 2024, Vertonghen was called up for UEFA Euro 2024. He scored an own goal in their 1–0 defeat to France in the round of 16.
Jan Vertonghen announced his retirement from international football on July 5, 2024. He ended his amazing career with Belgium with a record 157 appearances over seventeen years.
Honours and Awards
Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League Champion): 2011, 2012
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup Winner): 2007, 2010
Tottenham Hotspur
- EFL Cup (League Cup) Runner-up: 2015
- UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2019
Benfica
- Primeira Liga (Portuguese League Champion): 2023
- Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) Runner-up: 2021
- Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup) Runner-up: 2022
Anderlecht
- Belgian Cup Runner-up: 2025
Belgium National Team
- FIFA World Cup Third Place: 2018
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2008
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2012
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2012
- PFA Team of the Year (Premier League): 2013, 2018
- Premier League Player of the Month: March 2013
- Honorary Citizen of Temse, Belgium: 2018
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019
- RBFA 125 Years All Star Team: 2020
- IFFHS All Time Belgium Dream Team: 2021
- Vlaamse Reus: 2024
- Golden Cap: 2024
Images for kids
-
Vertonghen with the bronze medal for Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
-
Vertonghen (right) playing for Ajax in 2010
-
Vertonghen as captain of Ajax in 2011
-
Vertonghen playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2015
-
Vertonghen with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
-
Vertonghen with Anderlecht in 2024
See also
In Spanish: Jan Vertonghen para niños
