Toby: Vertonghen helped me join Tottenham; Pochettino's pre-season was insane

Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham Hotspur legend, returned to the club's training center as a guest on the podcast The Hotspur Way, a joint production of Tottenham Hotspur and Sports Illustrated. During the interview, he discussed his life after retirement and his experiences at Antwerp, while reflecting on his career at Tottenham Hotspur. This article is the fourth part of this exclusive interview.

Then the opportunity with Tottenham Hotspur came up. 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 telling people what they want to hear, but that's really how it happened at the time. My last match was for the Belgian national team against Wales.

The day after the match, I came here and met Pochettino. I also told Atlético directly: "I want to go to Tottenham Hotspur, I want to go to Tottenham Hotspur."

Eventually, they reached an agreement.

Wait. So Vertonghen convinced you? That means Pochettino told Vertonghen, "Can you call him?" Is that basically how it went?

Yes, pretty much. Because at that time, Vertonghen and I were both in the Belgian national team.

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

I said: "Yes."

After that, we had to exchange a few messages. I told him: "Let's just meet right after my last match against Wales."

So, after playing that match against Wales, I came straight to London, to this place.

Then we had a discussion. About a week later, the transfer was done.

There we have it. That's pretty cool. So he basically used every means at his disposal to reach you. Whatever it took, just to get you.

Yes.

So you met Pochettino, the deal was done, and you arrived at this club. At that time, Pochettino had already started building a very special team culture here and had assembled a very good squad. What was it like the first time you walked into the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room and saw the players around you?

To be honest, at first, I didn't really enjoy it.

Really?

Because it was pre-season.

Oh no. (laughs) Pochettino's pre-season was anything but easy.

I thought at the time: "What is this?"

He was pushing everyone to their limits, wasn't he?

It was insane.

You must have thought: "Who is this guy? He was so persuasive before, and now he's like this all of a sudden?"

Yes. (laughs) But he didn't lie to me. He did tell me in advance that pre-season would be tough.

Of course, pre-season is difficult for all teams, but this pre-season...

Was it the toughest pre-season you'd ever experienced?

Anyone who went through it will know, we had a running drill called Gacon. It was really insane. Very, very difficult.

At the time, I thought: "This is a whole different level of pre-season training." But you can only tell yourself: "I have to get through this, I just signed a five-year contract here."

Yes, you don't have a choice now.

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

From there, things gradually came together. I felt like I performed well from the start.

Of course, that helps a lot. If you play well from the beginning, things become much easier.

Then you had so many key figures in the dressing room around you. You then formed one of the most exciting teams of that era. The football Pochettino had you playing was really a pleasure to watch. What was that dressing room like once everyone really got to know each other, built trust, and the team kept succeeding on the pitch?

When you're in the thick of it, you don't really realize it or feel it. It might sound strange, but at that time, you only thought about the next match, the next match, the next match.

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

After going through that kind of pre-season, of course, you'd be very fit.

Yes. But even watching the people standing in the tunnel, you could feel it. Imagine, Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele, Wanyama, Danny Rose, Walker. We had an incredible team at that time.

Physically strong, but those guys also knew how to play football. And of course, Mousa Dembele, everyone knows how good he was. And Christian Eriksen. Vertonghen and I both came from Ajax, so of course, we knew each other.

So we weren't just a group of big physical guys. We were physically strong, but we also knew how to play football, and our fitness was excellent.

And of course, White Hart Lane. Really incredible. I was very lucky and honored to be able to play there, especially during the final years of White Hart Lane.

If someone asks me now: "What was it like playing 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 at the time. As I said, even standing together in the tunnel, that feeling was very special.

That's interesting because you also played at the Calderón stadium before. Those old stadiums always seem to create something more special.

Of course, I understand that now everything has to account for commercial revenue. But the feeling back then was really special.

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

We won 4-1. Then there was the North London Derby, where I also scored. So I have very good memories 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 pretty good.

That's not a bad record. So, was that related to Pochettino's style of play? Was it because he demanded you play that way, that everyone got such opportunities?

First, everyone's fitness was excellent. Why were we so fit? Because he wanted to play a constant pressing style.

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

Because we suffocated them, putting constant pressure on them. And then we had players who could make the difference.

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

Toby: Before matches, I'm always a bit afraid of opponents, which actually drives me to give my best

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

Traduit par IA.

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