Alderweireld started for Spurs against Brighton on Tuesday night.
Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez has told newspaper L’Avenir that Toby Alderweireld boasts “great maturity” after the commanding centre-back returned to Tottenham Hotspur’s side against Brighton on Tuesday night.
The 29-year-old centre-back appeared for the first time in the Premier League since October as the north Londoners drew 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
The former Atletico Madrid defender has just one more season left on his contract and although the majority of his time on the sidelines have been spent nursing a hamstring injury, Pochettino is also believed to have marginalised his game time.
That is because the Belgian will not sign a new deal at Spurs ahead of the summer transfer window. But Martinez, 44, lauded the return of Alderweireld, describing his involvement as “more than a relief”.
“The return to Toby’s competition on Tuesday night is a huge satisfaction. More than a relief. He showed patience. And his return was very convincing. It’s like he’s never left the team. He showed great maturity,” Martinez said.
Just 18 league and cup appearances has seen Alderweireld even fall down the pecking order at Spurs, with the partnership of Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen continuing to strike fear into Premier League strikers.
It remains to be seen if Alderweireld – who currently earns £75,000 a week according to the Daily Star – will sign a new contract before the summer with plenty of interest already touted from Europe’s biggest sides.
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