Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld worked with former Spurs manager Martin Jol at Ajax.
Jol was the Tottenham manager from 2004 until 2007, while Alderweireld has been on the books of the North London outfit since the summer of 2015.
The Dutchman was the manager of Ajax from the summer of 2009 until December 2010 during which time he worked with the Belgium international defender.
The 61-year-old former Fulham boss, who is without a managerial job at the moment, has revealed that the 28-year-old centre-back used to get annoyed with him when they worked together.
“Toby [Alderweireld] had to learn to be tough,” Jol told The London Evening Standard. “He was annoyed with me occasionally because I said, ‘You’re good on the ball, you’re an unbelievable passer, but you need to be more cynical’. As a defender, you have to be ruthless.
“He didn’t play for Atletico but he knew he had to be tougher. In the Premier League or La Liga, you have to be cynical, you have to be ruthless. And he learned that. He’s unbelievable now, I think he’s the best centre-back in England.”
Alderweireld failed to make an impact at Atletico Madrid after joining from Ajax, but following a successful loan spell at Southampton, the Belgian has established himself as a top-class defender in the Premier League.
Is the former Ajax star the best centre-back in the Premier League? Probably. Alderweireld is certainly among the best central defenders in the world, and Spurs fans should expect the 28-year-old to maintain this level for the next few years.
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