Tottenham Hotspur’s Belgian centre-back is one of the best defenders in the game.
Tottenham ace Eric Dier sat down for an exclusive interview with the club’s official website, and raved about the quality of his teammate Jan Vertonghen, suggesting that he is constantly trying to reach the Belgian’s levels.
The 31-year-old joined Spurs from Ajax in the summer of 2012, for a fee believed to be worth in the region of £12 million, and he has since gone on to establish himself as one of the club’s most important players, making 251 appearances in all competitions in the process.
Vertonghen is now widely considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, if not the whole of Europe, and he is arguably Mauricio Pochettino’s most reliable player from a fitness perspective.
Dier offered high words of praise for the Belgium international, when speaking exclusively to the club’s official website, labelling his levels of performance as ‘incredible’:
“If you look at the standard Jan is playing at now, it’s incredible. The best thing is just to watch his game. I believe he’s been the best centre-back in the Premier League this season, which is not easy. The consistent level he’s performed at has been incredible and he’s someone I look up to because I want to reach the level he’s playing at now. The whole team looks up to him in the way he carries himself and the way he plays. He’s a fantastic player and not just highly-respected in this team but throughout the league as well.”
This summer will be a vitally important one for Tottenham, and if they are to mount a sustained challenge for major honours next season, they quite simply must keep hold of their key players.
Jan Vertonghen is certainly one of those, and Dier’s comments go to show just how important the 31-year-old is to Pochettino’s side.
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