Tottenham Hotspur legend Toby Alderweireld returned to the club's training ground as a guest on The Hotspur Way podcast, a production from Tottenham Hotspur and Sports Illustrated. In the interview, he discusses his life after retirement, his experience at Antwerp, and reflects on his career at Tottenham Hotspur. This is the fourth part of the exclusive interview.

Then the opportunity at Tottenham Hotspur came. How did that happen?

I had a good season at Southampton. Then Vertonghen called me and said, "Pochettino really wants you."

I immediately wanted to join Tottenham Hotspur. I know saying this now might sound like I'm just saying what everyone wants to hear, but that's genuinely what happened. My last match was for Belgium against Wales.

The day after that match, I came here and met Pochettino. I also immediately told Atletico Madrid: "I want to go to Tottenham Hotspur."

Eventually, they reached an agreement.

Wait. So Vertonghen convinced you? Meaning Pochettino asked Vertonghen to call you? Is that basically how it went?

Yeah, roughly like that. At the time, Vertonghen and I were both on the Belgium national team.

Vertonghen told me: "Look, I think Tottenham Hotspur really wants you. Can I give your number to Pochettino?"

I said: "Yes."

After that, we definitely exchanged some messages. I told him: "After my last match against Wales, let's meet right away."

So after the Wales match, I came straight to London, here.

Then we discussed things. About a week later, the transfer was done.

It was that quick. That's pretty cool. So he basically used every way he could to reach you. Whatever it took, get in touch first.

Yes.

So you met Pochettino, the deal was done, and then you came to the club. By that time, Pochettino had already started building a very special team culture here, and he had also formed a really good squad. What was it like when you first walked into the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room and saw the players around you?

Honestly, at first, I didn't really like it.

Really?

Because it was preseason.

Oh no. (laughs) Pochettino's preseason was absolutely brutal.

I thought to myself: "What on earth is this?"

He pushed everyone to their limits, didn't he?

It was insane.

You must have thought: "Who is this guy? He was so charming before, but now he's suddenly like this?"

Yes. (laughs) But he didn't lie to me. He did tell me beforehand that preseason would be tough.

Of course, preseason is tough for every team, but this preseason...

Was it the toughest preseason you ever experienced?

Everyone who went through it knows we had a running drill called the Gacon. It was absolutely insane. Extremely, extremely difficult.

At that point, I thought: "This is a completely different level of preseason training." But you just have to tell yourself: "I have to get through this. I just signed a five-year contract here."

Yeah, you don't have a choice now.

Right. Then we started playing matches. I remember we went to the United States and played against an MLS All-Stars team or something like that.

From that point on, things gradually started going well. I think I performed fairly well right from the start.

Of course, that helped a lot. If you play well from the beginning, everything becomes much easier.

Then you had so many key figures in the dressing room. And you also formed one of the most exciting teams of that era. The football Pochettino asked you to play was really fun to watch. What was the dressing room like when everyone truly knew each other, trust was building, and the team kept achieving success on the pitch?

When you're really in the middle of it, you don't really realize or feel it. It might sound strange, but at the time you're always just thinking: next match, next match, next match.

But looking back a few years later, you think: "Wow, that feeling was really extraordinary." We never went into a match thinking, "We're going to win easily," but we were very confident. We were strong and very fit.

After a preseason like that, of course you'd be extremely fit.

Yes. But just seeing the people standing in the players' tunnel, you could feel it. Think about it: Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, Wanyama, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker. We had an incredible squad back then.

Physically strong, but these guys were also very good at playing football. And of course Mousa Dembele—everyone knows how good he was. And Christian Eriksen. Vertonghen and I both came from Ajax, so naturally we were also very close to each other.

So we weren't just a bunch of big, physically strong guys. We were physically strong, and also extremely good at playing football, and very fit.

And of course, there was White Hart Lane. It was absolutely incredible. I was very fortunate and very honored to play there, especially during the final years of White Hart Lane.

If someone asked me now: "What was it like to play there?" I really can't find the words to explain it.

There was history there, and a feeling that everyone was united. The stadium was intimate, and we had a team like that back then. As I just said, even just standing together in the players' tunnel, the feeling was so special.

That's interesting, because you also played at Calderón before. Old stadiums like those always seem to create something more special.

Of course, I understand that now everything needs to consider commercial revenue. But the feeling back then was truly too special.

Of course, we also played some incredible matches there. I remember my first goal for Tottenham Hotspur was against Manchester City.

We won 4-1. After that, there was the North London Derby, and I scored there too. So I had some really great moments there.

I remember one season, I scored against Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham United, and Manchester United.

Wait, you're a defender.

I know. (laughs) That season was really good.

That's not a bad record. So, is this related to how Pochettino asked you to play? Is it because he asked you to play that way that everyone got chances like that?

First of all, everyone was very fit. Why were we so fit? Because he wanted to play a style of football that constantly pressed.

Lose the ball, press. Lose the ball again, press again. So I think opponents really hated playing against us.

Because we would always stick with them and keep pressing them. And then we had players who could make a difference.

Son Heung-min, Kane, Christian Eriksen, Lamela.

Related reading:

Toby: I won't consider coaching; now I prefer to experience life outside of football

Toby: I was always slightly afraid before matches, which made me perform at my best

Toby: I learned the purest form of defending from Simeone, and that's why I fell in love with defense

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