Jan Vertonghen’s agent has said the Tottenham defender is “feeling better” after his dejected reaction to being substituted against Southampton.
Jose Mourinho hooked the 32-year-old defender before the hour mark in Wednesday’s FA Cup win, with Vertonghen’s walk around the pitch to the Spurs bench akin of that of a sentenced killer on his way to the gallows.
Many have speculated that Vertonghen’s sorrowful expression was that of a man who was realising live that his time at the top of the game is up.
However, in an interview with Belgian outlet HLN, his agent Tom De Mul insisted that Vertonghen’s upset was caused only by the events of the night.
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“He’s feeling better now,” De Mul told HLN. “His reaction had nothing to do with his future. He was just disappointed when he got subbed off. Unhappy about his performance and the team’s performance in the first hour.”
But the following quotes from De Mul do suggest that Vertonghen is preparing to leave Spurs, with his remaining ambitions at the club only taking him until the end of the season when his contract expires.
De Mul added to HLN: “Jan still wants to achieve great things with Spurs. He wants to qualify for the Europa or Champions League, to win the FA Cup. He is 32, but still very ambitious. He is focused. He still has so many targets. The Euros are a super important goal too. It’s what I admire in Jan. He wants to play at the top level as long as possible. He is very still hungry.”
Vertonghen joined Spurs nearly eight years ago from Ajax and has to date made 307 appearances for us. It seems though, he won’t make many more.
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As Mandy Rice-Davis said back in the day,he would say that wouldn’t he.
Jan has been a great servant to the club,but this season in particular he is showing his age.His pace seems to have gone and he’s getting caught out of position.
I think he knows in his heart there is no contract extension on the horizon and he’s probably wondering where he will end up for next season.He could end up back at Ajax,partnering Daley Blind, or home in Belgium.His days in any of the top leagues are finished unfortunately.
Jan is a Moody Guy,. Remember him at Anfield a few years back ? Nothing to get excited about .