‘Vertonghen seemed the youngest of them all at training’

OTHER Now that Jan Vertonghen is fit again, the question arises as to when he will be back at kick-off for the first time. ‘Jan also knows he is not 100 per cent yet. It is still too early for him to play 90 minutes,' coach David Hubert told his press conference this afternoon. According to Hubert, the fact that Anderlecht has been eliminated in Europe is a good thing for Vertonghen, though.


‘The weeks we have now (without midweek matches, ed.) help him a lot,' Hubert said. ‘The training sessions on the third day before a game are usually the toughest. For Jan, those are of enormous value. He keeps working very hard to take steps forward every week.'

Doesn't Hubert fear that Vertonghen will force himself to play as much as possible before hanging up his boots? ‘We continue to communicate well with him. The drive he shows also proves his worth. If you saw him busy at training yesterday, he looked exactly like the youngest of the lot. The ambition, intensity and energy he brings to it is golden for us. Even if he doesn't start, his enthusiasm is a plus for the whole group.'

Source: © Internal source