Tottenham Hotspur legend Jan Vertonghen has hinted that he could retire after Euro 2024.
"Vermaelen admits his days as a professional soccer player are numbered and says he will hang up his boots if he feels he cannot contribute in the way he wants to at Anderlecht," SpursWeb reported on Tuesday.
Vermaelen is a legend of Tottenham's golden era in the 2010s. He had excellent left-footed build-up play. His pace suited a team that played a high defensive line. He would occasionally get involved in the attack and create threatening chances.
A product of the Ajax youth team, Vermaelen joined Tottenham in July 2012. He played for Spurs for a whopping eight years until August 2020. Along with his 'soul mate' Toby Alderweireld, he was responsible for the Spurs' back line. While the attack was led by the likes of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, Vertonghen was the leader of the defense.
Vertonghen said goodbye to Tottenham in the summer of 2020. He then spent two years at Benfica in Portugal before returning to his native Belgium in September 2022, where he is currently the captain of 카지노사이트 Anderlecht.
Vermaelen has also left his mark on the Belgian national team. He was part of the Belgian Golden Generation alongside Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois. With 154 caps, Vermaelen is the most capped player in the history of the Belgian national team.
Now in his mid-30s, Vermaelen recently hinted at retirement, telling Dutch publication Het Laatste Nieuws: "I will make a decision after the Euros. My time with the Belgian national team will be shorter, but my heart for soccer is with the national team," he said.
He added: "I come here every morning with a smile on my face. I haven't felt this good since my second season at Tottenham. The important question for me is: can Anderlecht allow me to be the player I want to be and the club wants me to be? I don't want to be a caricature of myself. For now, I want to continue, but I can't predict what will happen," he added.