Former Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld has spoken to Sport/Voetbalmagazine about his deep respect for the club, and insists he has no regrets over remaining loyal to Spurs despite interest from Manchester United.
Alderweireld caught the eye during a loan spell with Southampton in the 2014/15 season, where he made 28 appearances for the Saints (Transfermarkt). He would join Tottenham the following season from Atletico Madrid and become a linchpin of the Lilywhites’ defence for years to come.
Over the years, the Belgian made 236 appearances for Tottenham, scoring nine goals and registering five assists (Transfermarkt). He formed an incredible partnership with his compatriot Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the Spurs defence and became a real fan favourite in North London.
He eventually left Spurs in the summer of 2021, when he joined Qatari side Al-Duhail SC (Sky Sports). Alderweireld spent a season there before moving back to his native Belgium with Royal Antwerp this summer.
His career trajectory could have been very different, had he pursued reported interest from Manchester United in 2018. In his latest interview, though, Alderweireld said he probably wouldn’t have been able to engineer a move anyway, and wouldn’t have wanted to regardless.
Alderweireld said: “People wrongly think that players have a lot to say in transfers. We are usually the last to be informed about a potential deal. That’s just the reality. After the World Cup in Russia, I found out what was going on with Manchester United. That’s partly up to me.
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“I always told my agent that I wanted to focus purely on football. I told him: ‘If a club comes, you can arrange everything and I will hear it.’ In the case of Manchester United, should I have been more committed? No, I don’t regret anything.”
Alderweireld spoke fondly of his time at Spurs, adding: “My best years as a footballer have been with Tottenham. I have so much respect for that club that it would be strange to say now that I should have forced my transfer to Manchester United.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Toby Alderweireld is genuinely one of my favourite Spurs players of the modern era and I think we still deeply miss his partnership with Jan Vertonghen at the back. What I wouldn’t do to turn the clock back for those two and get them in this Antonio Conte side.
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