£73m striker claims Tottenham fringe player is his toughest ever opponent

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Jose Mourinho has rarely selected Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen since taking charge.

Romelu Lukaku has said on Instagram that Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen is the toughest defender he has ever played against.

The £73 million (Sky Sports) Inter Milan forward was doing a question and answer session last night, when he paid a big compliment to the Tottenham man.

The comment may come as a boost to Vertonghen, who has struggled for game time this season since Jose Mourinho took charge.

The 32-year-old centre-back has shown signs of age in recent times, with Mourinho often leaving him on Tottenham’s bench.

Vertonghen has started just one of Spurs’s last four league matches, and did not get on the pitch as they lost 3-2 to Wolves at the weekend.

There are now serious doubts about the Belgian international’s future at Spurs, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

But Lukaku’s words show just how talented Vertonghen is on his day, and Mourinho will be hoping that the veteran defender can get back to his best to help Tottenham before the end of the campaign.