Toby Alderweireld – The boy wonder from Ajax finally showing his class

Photo: Tobias Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspurs (Getty Images)

Promoted to the first team at Ajax Amsterdam in the 2008/2009 season after four years in the youth set-up, Belgian prospect Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld took quite a while to establish himself at the Amsterdam Arena. At 19 years old, he found himself down the pecking order behind fellow countrymen Thomas Vermaelen and Jan Vertonghen. After the departure of Vermaelen to Arsenal in the summer of 2009, Alderweireld was given the opportunity to partner Vertonghen and it was that season that he established himself as a regular in the first team and the first eleven.

Born in the city of Antwerp, the 27-year-old developed his trade at local club Germinal Beerschot before moving to Ajax in the summer of 2004 at the age of 15 years. Quite a big lad, the Belgian youngster showed great promise and as such represented his nation at the 2006 U17 European Championship and also represented the U21’s for Belgium. A versatile player due to his excellent technical ability along with his intelligence, he was deployed at central defense, right back and on a few occasions in central midfield. His performances caught many eyes across Europe and his stocks rose even higher after he was named the 2010 Ajax Talent of the Year.

During his time at the Amsterdam Arena the 6ft 2in defender helped Ajax to three consecutive Eridivisie titles (2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013) along with the Dutch Cup in 2010. By the time he established himself playing in the first team and in the Champions League, the former Beerschot youngster was touted as an excellent prospect and a star of the future. With his contract winding down in the summer of 2013, he opted not to extend his deal with Ajax and instead completed a move to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.

In a season that Atletico Madrid managed to break the Real Madrid and Barcelona dominance to capture the La Liga title, the versatile defender managed just 12 appearance at the Vicente Calderon. In a new surrounding and a new culture, Alderweireld failed to force his way in the first team at central defense due to the Diego Godin/Miranda partnership. The form of Juanfran at right back also kept him out of action, however the team could only benefit having a top quality option waiting to get his chance, even though his confidence and form may have fallen off due to a lack of playing time.

Despite the success of his team in his first season in Spanish Football, the Belgian defender was seeking first team action and as such moved to Southampton on loan in September 2014. Alderweireld enjoyed a wonderful and impressive season at the St Mary’s helping the Saints to a 7^th place finish. The former Ajax defender proved himself as a top class Premier League defender which prompted Tottenham Hotspur to broker a deal with Atletico Madrid for his services much to the anger of Southampton. Perhaps the chance to link up with former Ajax teammates Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen was too good to turn down and as such he completed his move to White Hart Lane in July of last year.

In his second season of the Premier League, the 27-year-old seems to have found his home alongside fellow countryman Vertonghen. He is certainly in familiar territory with the likes of Nacer Chadli, Moussa Dembele as well as Eriksen around to help him settle into life around the capital city. Surrounded by friends and after signing a 5-year-deal, the versatile Belgian defender seemed to have settled quite well and clearly focusing on his football which has allowed him to hone his craft and art of defending.

So far this season Alderweireld has played every minute and has led Mauricio Pochettino’s defensive unit expertly. He has been the star of the show in defense while contributing 4 goals at the other end as well as two assists. The former Ajax youngster has shown his supreme intelligence, reading the game very well and that allows him to get into great defensive positions. He also has some pace about him which is good for recovery and doesn’t get outrun by many in the league. At 6ft 2in he also has a dominant presence at the back, which is ideal for the Premiership and has shown that he is quite prepared for the physical side of things. His reliability in one-on-one situations has been nothing short of brilliant and he always seems to be in position to close the gap on the opposition.  

However, he has been mightily impressive on the ball as well. The Lily Whites like to play out from the back and the former Atletico man is ideal for such situations. He is quite gifted technically, maybe thanks to his education at Ajax, so he is comfortable with the ball at his feet as well as distribution. His range of passing has been on show all season as he is capable of retaining possession in tight spaces and is able to make the 40+ yard passes accurately. Of course his supporting cast must also be recognized however.  In his first season at White Hart Lane he has shown maturity and now seems to be on his way to stardom as predicted during his days at the Amsterdam Arena.  

Spurs are still very much in the title race and could very well be Champions next month. Their extraordinary Belgian defensive rock is one of the reasons for their title charge even though Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eriksen get most of the headlines. To demonstrate the season he is having, the stats have shown that in his last five games, Alderweireld has not committed a single foul and has contributed to four clean sheets which is absolutely astonishing. At the present moment the sky is the limit for the 27-year-old and if he continues on this upward trajectory then he may not be at White Hart Lane much longer.