Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior has been blown away by the qualities of Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen after both legs of their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.
The Belgian was the stand out performer in the first leg at Wembley, putting on a masterclass from left back as he not only scored but assisted in the 3-0 win and played another crucial role in the second leg, making a pinpoint accurate tackle to deny a goal scoring opportunity for the Germans.
Comparing Vertonghen’s cross in London to 13-time Premier League winner Ryan Giggs, Rosenior has heralded just how much of an impact he made over the 180 minutes.
He told Sky Sports’ The Debate (05/03, 22:00): “Outstanding. He showed in the first leg his attacking capabilities with the cross for that goal which was absolutely – if Ryan Giggs puts that cross in 10 years ago, that’s what an outstanding cross it is.
“Today he’s defending, makes that unbelievable last ditch tackle in a key moment of the game, 25 minutes in, because if Borussia Dortmund score, the Westfalenstadion, the atmosphere is incredible, I saw Borussia Dortmund come back against Real Madrid. They were three goals down.
“For Tottenham to go there, play they did, I think they would have enjoyed playing there.”
Opinion
There really is no argument that Vertonghen was Tottenham’s man of the round after not one but two outstanding performances which led his side to victory and the Champions League quarter finals. It is a massive achievement for a side who are exactly the same as they were last season, minus the likes of Mousa Dembele, and demonstrates just how much quality is running through that side. Vertonghen, while he might not be captain, leads by example week in, week out and while he might not be put into a left winger’s role to emulate Giggs, the fact he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch shows just how talented the man is. He is one of the most influential players in that squad and while most youngsters will be looking at Harry Kane as their idol, the Tottenham faithful cannot forget about the man at the other end of the pitch. He is someone all footballers could learn something off.