Jan Vertonghen
Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen (born 24 April 1987) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Pro League club Anderlecht and the Belgium national team. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a left-back.
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Vertonghen playing for Belgium at the 2018 World Cup | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Anderlecht | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| 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– | Anderlecht | 51 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Belgium U16 | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Belgium U21 | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2007– | Belgium | 154 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:33, 17 March 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
Vertonghen began his senior career at Dutch club Ajax in 2006 and totalled 220 games and 28 goals for them across all competitions, serving as their captain from 2011 to 2012. He won two Eredivisie and two KNVB Cup titles during his time at the club, and in 2012 he was named Dutch Footballer of the Year. Vertonghen transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in July 2012, and made the PFA Team of the Year in his first Premier League season. He made 315 appearances for Spurs over eight years, as well as reaching the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, and was named the club's Player of the Year in 2018. After spending two seasons with Portuguese club Benfica, he joined Anderlecht in 2022.
Vertonghen made his international debut for Belgium in 2007 and his 154 caps (including three unofficial games, according to FIFA rules) are the most in the history of the national team. He was part of Belgian squads that came fourth at the 2008 Olympics, finishing third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the quarter-finals at UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.