Spurs hero Jan Vertonghen explains painkiller worries in emotional retirement announcement
Jan Vertonghen has struggled with ankle injuries over the past year and has therefore decided to call time on his career, in part due to concerns over reliance on painkillers
Former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. Vertonghen, 37, has enjoyed a successful career, playing for Anderlecht, Ajax, Tottenham and Benfica and is Belgium’s most-capped player with 157 appearances.
He was a stalwart for Spurs, making 315 appearances between 2012 and 2020, helping them reach two Carabao Cup finals in 2015 and 2021, achieve their highest-ever Premier League finish in 2017 and reach the Champions League final in 2019.
The centre-back was also a part of the fabled ‘Golden Generation’ of players for Belgium, who qualified for three consecutive World Cup finals in 2014, 2018 and 2022. He retired from international football last year and has now decided to call time on his club career, having been hampered by injuries at Anderlecht.
"I have noticed that it is becoming more and more difficult to prepare myself physically for training sessions and matches and to show myself as the player I want to be," he said. "Not only towards the fans and my fellow players, but also towards myself. That is why I will be stopping after this season."
READ MORE: Man Utd hold key advantage in remarkable 17-team race for breakout Premier League starREAD MORE: Rangers hit with suspended stadium CLOSURE over banner as club blast their own fansVertonghen has battled ankle problems and an Achilles tendon injury over the past few years and has been limited to just five matches for Anderlecht this season. One of his reasons for retiring is a concern about his growing dependence on painkillers and injections just to play football.
“During all those months on the sidelines, I had time to reflect,” he added. “I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to play a full year at the level I wanted. I constantly suffer from ankle pain, so the decision was quite easy to make.
“I’ve seen about 10 specialists this year who assured me the pain would go away. But the pain is daily, and just walking up the stadium stairs hurts. I have to warm up for a very long time before I can play.
“I take painkillers and have had several injections, but I’m not a fan of that kind of shock treatment. I don’t want to be dependent on painkillers. I feel like I’ll still be welcome at every club I’ve played for, and that makes me proud, as does the fact that I’ve been able to discover many different countries and cultures.”
In a post on the club website, Tottenham noted: “Not only was he a great player, but he was also a man that embraced the community and was keen to help the less fortunate, which saw him give up his time to support the North Enfield Foodbank on a number of occasions. He was undoubtedly a fan favourite.”
His Instagram post announcing his retirement was commented on by former Belgium players Christian Benteke and Radja Nainggolan, who sent him their best wishes.
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