Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen was forced from the pitch in nasty circumstances during the 1-0 loss at home to Ajax in the Champions League this week.
Spurs hosted the Dutch side at the new stadium for the first leg of the semi-final, but fell behind early to a Donny Van de Beek finish.
As Tottenham were attempting to force their way back into the match, they won a free kick in a dangerous position in the opponents final third.
After the ball was delivered, both Vertonghen and defensive teammate Toby Alderweireld both went for the ball and clashed heads in a horrible collision.
While Toby got back to his feet, Vertonghen was left in a heap, with a nasty blow to the head and blood pouring from a cut on his nose.
While the Belgian defender did re-enter the action momentarily, he was forced to retire after informing the medical team he felt too faint to play.
Teammate Lucas Moura has now revealed that Vertonghen was scared after the knock, which is understandable after players such as Ryan Mason have had their careers ended by head injuries.
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Moura said (Daily Star): “He was a little bit afraid, which is normal. It was difficult because Jan is a very important player for us. He has so much experience.
“The action was strong, it was dangerous. Was he lucky? I don’t know, I don’t believe in ‘lucky’. It happens in football. I’m happy because I saw him after the game, he was good.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
The biggest worry for me, above the head injury itself, was that Vertonghen was allowed back onto the pitch. It was clear that Jan had taken a hefty blow to the head and was on the deck for some time. Precautions should have kicked in to save the player from any nasty, and longer-lasting symptoms, especially when there were more than enough defenders on the bench to cover anyway.
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