Toby Alderweireld facts for kids
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Alderweireld with Tottenham Hotspur in 2020
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1989 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Antwerp, Belgium | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Royal Antwerp | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Germinal Ekeren | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Germinal Beerschot | |||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Ajax | 128 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Atlético Madrid | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Southampton (loan) | 26 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Tottenham Hotspur | 174 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Al-Duhail | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Royal Antwerp | 95 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Belgium U15 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Belgium U16 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Belgium U17 | 17 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Belgium U18 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Belgium U19 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Belgium U21 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2022 | Belgium | 127 | (5) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 January 2024 | ||||||||||||||||
Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld (born 2 March 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp.
Toby started his career at the Dutch club Ajax. There he won many awards, including three Eredivisie titles in a row. In 2013, he moved to Atlético Madrid. He won La Liga with them and played in the UEFA Champions League final.
After playing for Southampton for a year, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2015. He reached the Champions League final again in 2019 with Tottenham. He played 236 games for Tottenham before moving to Al-Duhail in 2021.
After one season in Qatar, Toby returned to Belgium. He signed with his hometown club, Royal Antwerp. In his first season, he helped them win the league title. He even scored the goal that won them the title!
Toby also played for the Belgium national team from 2009 to 2022. He played in 127 games for his country. He represented Belgium in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also played in the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Ajax
Toby Alderweireld was born in Antwerp, Belgium. He joined the Ajax youth academy in August 2004. He came from a club called Germinal Beerschot. On 22 February 2007, he signed his first professional contract. This contract kept him at Ajax until June 2010.
He joined the main team for the 2008–09 season. His first game was on 18 January, a 4–2 win against NEC. On 26 February, he played his first European game. It was a 1–1 draw against Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup. Even though he played only a few games that season, he got a new contract until 2014.
Becoming a Key Player
In the 2009–10 season, Toby became a regular player for Ajax. He became a main centre-back with fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen. This happened after their captain, Thomas Vermaelen, left for Arsenal. The new Ajax coach, Martin Jol, was very happy with them.
Toby scored his first league goal for Ajax on 4 September. It was a header from a corner kick by Luis Suárez. This happened in a 3–0 win against Heracles. In January, he scored a late goal in a cup game against NEC. Ajax won that game 3–2. At the end of the season, Toby was named Ajax Talent of the Year.
On 3 November 2011, he scored Ajax's 100th UEFA Champions League goal. This was in a 2–1 loss to Auxerre. In the 2010–11 season, he scored a great goal from far away against Milan. He then scored another amazing goal against Feyenoord.
Winning Titles with Ajax
In the 2011–12 season, Toby became an even better player. He and Jan Vertonghen formed a strong defense for Ajax. Toby also showed he could score goals. He scored a great goal against Heerenveen.
On 5 August 2012, Toby scored for Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield against PSV. Ajax lost that game 4–2. However, the 2012–13 season was very successful. Toby won his third Eredivisie title in a row with Ajax. He played as a starting centre-back in all three championship wins.
Toby scored three more goals that season. Two were in the league against PEC Zwolle and Twente. He also scored in a 2–0 win against Steaua București in the UEFA Europa League. Ajax played in the Champions League that year. They were in a tough group with Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund. They finished third and moved to the Europa League.
Toby decided not to extend his contract with Ajax. Many clubs were interested in signing him. These included Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool, Napoli, and Norwich City.
Time at Atlético Madrid
On 2 September 2013, Toby joined Atlético Madrid in Spain. He signed a four-year contract. He played 12 games as the club won La Liga, the Spanish league title. On 11 May, he scored his only goal for them. It was a header that made the score 1–1 against Málaga. This goal helped Atlético stay in the title race.
Toby also played in the 2014 Champions League final. He came on for the last seven minutes and extra time. Atlético was winning 1–0 against their city rival, Real Madrid. But they ended up losing 4–1.
Loan to Southampton
On 1 September 2014, Toby was loaned to Southampton in the English Premier League. Southampton had an option to buy him later. He played his first game for Southampton on 13 September. They won 4–0 against Newcastle United and kept a clean sheet.
On 26 December, he scored his first goal for Southampton. It was a header from a corner kick in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace. Southampton wanted to buy him permanently. But Atlético Madrid decided to cancel that option. They wanted to sell him to the club that offered the most money.
Joining Tottenham Hotspur
On 8 July 2015, Toby Alderweireld joined Tottenham Hotspur. He signed a five-year contract. At Tottenham, he joined his former Ajax teammates Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen. On 30 July, Toby played his first game for Tottenham.
First Season with Spurs
On 26 September, Toby scored his first goal for Tottenham. It was in a 4–1 win against Manchester City. His second goal came in another 4–1 win against West Ham United. On 5 March 2016, he scored in the North London Derby against Arsenal. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. A month later, he scored in a 3–0 win against Manchester United.
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In his first season at Tottenham, Toby was seen as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He formed a strong defense with Jan Vertonghen. Tottenham had the best defensive record in the Premier League that season. They only let in 25 goals in 34 games. He was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year.
Later Years at Tottenham
In the 2016–17 season, Toby played regularly until he got injured in October. He returned in December for a Champions League game. Toby scored Tottenham's last goal of the season. It was in a 7–1 win against Hull City. Tottenham had their best defensive record ever that season. They only let in 26 goals in the Premier League.
In the 2017–18 season, Toby played in all league and Champions League games at first. But he got a hamstring injury in November 2017. This kept him out for a few months. He returned in February 2018 for an FA Cup game. However, he got another injury soon after.
After a season with injuries, Toby became a regular player again in the 2018–19 season. In January 2019, Tottenham extended his contract until 2020. He scored an own goal in a close game against Liverpool, which Tottenham lost 2–1.
On 20 December 2019, Toby signed a new contract until 2023. On 16 February 2020, he scored his first goal since May 2017. He helped Tottenham win 3–2 against Aston Villa. On 12 July 2020, he scored the winning goal in a North London derby against Arsenal. Tottenham won that game 2–1.
On 2 January 2021, Toby scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season. It was in a 3–0 win against Leeds United.
Moving to Al-Duhail
On 27 July 2021, Tottenham Hotspur announced that Toby would join Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail. He played 29 games for them in the 2021–22 season. He scored one goal in a cup game against Al-Sailiya. Al-Duhail won the Emir of Qatar Cup that season.
Return to Royal Antwerp
On 15 July 2022, Toby joined Belgian First Division A club Royal Antwerp. He signed a three-year deal. On 30 April 2023, Toby won the Belgian Cup with Antwerp. Just over a month later, on 4 June, Toby scored a goal in the 94th minute of the final league game. This dramatic goal secured a 2–2 draw against Genk. It handed Royal Antwerp their first league title in 66 years!
On 30 August 2023, he helped his club reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever. They won 3–1 against AEK Athens.
On 18 November 2024, Toby announced he would retire from professional football at the end of the 2024/2025 season. He had already retired from international football the year before. He said he was looking forward to retirement but also had big goals for Antwerp for his last half-year.
International Career
Toby first played for Belgium's under-17 team in October 2005. He played in the 2006 UEFA U17 Championship. After the 2008–09 season, he made his senior debut for Belgium. This was in a friendly tournament against Chile on 29 May 2009. His first full senior game was three months later against the Czech Republic.
He was part of the squads for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. But he was mostly a substitute. In October 2009, he came on as a substitute in a 2–0 loss to Estonia.
Toby was called up to the Belgian U21 squad in November 2009. He played right back in a 2012 UEFA Euro qualification game against Turkey in September 2010.
On 13 May 2014, Toby was chosen for the squad to go to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in all five of Belgium's games. This included their 1–0 loss to Argentina in the quarter-finals. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he won a bronze medal with Belgium. They won 2–0 against England. On 8 September 2020, Toby played his 100th game for Belgium. This was in a 5–1 win against Iceland.
On 6 March 2023, he announced he was retiring from international football.
Personal Life
Toby Alderweireld married Shani Van Mieghem on 19 June 2015. They got married in Ekeren, Antwerp. Their first child, a daughter named Ayla, was born in September 2018. Their son, Jace, was born in February 2020.
Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- KNVB Cup: 2009–10
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2013–14
Tottenham Hotspur
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2020–21
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19
Al-Duhail
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2022
Antwerp
- Belgian Pro League: 2022–23
- Belgian Cup: 2022–23
- Belgian Super Cup: 2023
Belgium
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2018
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Year: 2010
- AFC Ajax Club of 100: 2013
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Premier League
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2015–16
- Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 2023
- Belgian Goal of the Year: 2023
Images for kids
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Alderweireld with Ajax
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Alderweireld with Ajax teammates in 2011
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Alderweireld with Spurs in 2016
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Alderweireld with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Toby Alderweireld para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
