A YEAR ago Jan Vertonghen was Tottenham’s Superman — now he looks set to become one of their ex-men.
You did not need X-ray vision to see the disgruntled look on the Belgian defender’s face when he was subbed by Spurs boss Jose Mourinho in the 54th minute of Wednesday’s 3-2 FA Cup fourth-round replay victory over Southampton.
Jan Vertonghen looked gutted when he was taken off by Jose MourinhoCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The expressions on both manager and player at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium suggested Vertonghen, 32, will be out of the club faster than a speeding bullet when his contract expires in the summer.
Mourinho said bluntly: “No injury, it was my decision. It’s normal that he’s sad.
“No player likes to come out but I decided to sacrifice Jan.
“So sad yes, with a reason, but happy now as he won.
“I don’t need to speak to him because he’s an intelligent guy.
“He’s very professional and it’s obvious that I did not do it to punish him because he was playing exactly the same as the others.”
Vertonghen’s substitution against Saints was the latest chapter of what is looking like his sorry farewell season.
If being replaced by a young loanee — Gedson Fernandes, 21 — with the score at 1-1 was not embarrassing enough, the ref’s order to leave the field at the nearest point on the opposite side of the ground from the tunnel only added to the humiliation.
All Vertonghen was missing from his painstakingly slow trek around the perimeter of the pitch was a black hat, tie and cane. It felt like we were paying our last respects to a Spurs great.
His walk of shame along “Vertonghen Winding Road” was in stark contrast to how he was cheered off the pitch at the final whistle at Wembley nearly 12 months ago.
RECIPE FOR SUCC-SESS
RYAN SESSEGNON has revealed boss Jose Mourinho wants him to be more aggressive.
Spurs’ £25million summer signing from Fulham admits he has had a tough start.
But having overcome that, he knows he must toughen up on the pitch.
The England Under-21 man, 19, said: “To play under a coach like Mourinho is very tactical.
“He doesn’t like to concede goals, so I’m trying to adjust my game in a defensive way as well.
“He wants me to be aggressive, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Sessegnon was sidelined with a hamstring injury after joining Tottenham.
He added: “Every time I go on the pitch I try to be positive but in recent weeks it’s probably been a bit negative.
“It was tough at the start but I’m starting to find my feet.
“I came to a top-four club to play in the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League.
“Any young player wants to play in big tournaments and big games.”
He had just produced one of his best displays for Tottenham as he inspired them to a thumping 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of last season’s Champions League last 16.
Vertonghen set up one goal and scored another — prompting his famous “SuperJan” celebration.
Nobody could envisage he would turn into Clark Kent so quickly. But in less than a year Vertonghen has gone from superhero to zero.
He and Tottenham team-mate — and fellow countryman — Toby Alderweireld were not so long ago the best central defensive duo in the Premier League and one of the strongest in the world.
They were the platform for the club’s rise under former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
And when Alderweireld, 30, was nearing the end of his contract last season he was the one who found himself out in the cold under Poch.
But after he signed another deal under Mourinho in December, it is now Vertonghen out in the cold.
It was assumed that, after Alderweireld agreed to extend his stay, Vertonghen would follow suit — but that has not happened and he looks likely to follow his old Ajax team-mate Christian Eriksen, who joined Inter Milan last month, out of the door at Tottenham.
After Eriksen’s departure to the San Siro, Mourinho admitted he did not play the Dane as much as his talent warranted because he had to get Spurs used to playing without him.
With former first-team stalwart Vertonghen now left out regularly, you have to assume we are unlikely to see his Superman celebration in N17 again.
You would not put your cape on him being there next season — especially with Spurs in talks to hand JAPHET TANGANGA a 500 per cent pay rise after his first-team breakthrough under Mourinho.
The London-born defender, 20, is set for a hike in weekly wages from around £2,000 to £10,000.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
