18-82 Q&A - Vertonghen: 'My attempt at Yellow Submarine was shocking!'

Using the year of the Club’s formation as inspiration, we ask our players to choose 18 lifestyle questions from a selection of 82 in this series of Q&A sessions. Today it’s the turn of our Belgian international defender, Jan Vertonghen...

1 - What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Jan: “To enjoy every day.”

2 - When was the last time you cried?

Jan: “Like a proper cry? It was probably the day my daughter was born.”

3 - Who is sorting out the playlist at the moment?

Jan: “It must be Harry Kane.”

4 - How do you like your eggs?

Jan: “Scrambled, not too much cheese, a bit of avocado, sour dough toast, pepper and salt.”

5 - What are you always asked in interviews?

Jan: “Who is the best striker I’ve ever faced.”

6 - Did you ever appear in a play at school?

Jan: “Yes I did, when I was about seven or eight, and then again in Holland when I was 16. That was a bit more professional. It was Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s play. I’m not sure who I played, maybe Demetrius.”

7 - What reminds you of home?

“I’m an extremely nostalgic person, so everything… family, my brother, my mum’s food, sitting on a bike, walking down a street in my home town (Tielrode, near Sint Niklaas, Belgium), playing board games, TV shows which I watch now on YouTube, these all remind me of my childhood.”

8 - In which TV show would you like a walk-on part?

Jan: “It’s called ‘FC de Kampioenen’ and it’s my favourite TV show of all-time. The translation is ‘FC the Champions’. It’s a show I watch again on YouTube sometimes just to get connected again with my childhood. I used to watch it every Saturday night. We used to record it on a VHS machine and watch it hundreds of times again, all day Sunday and every day of the week.”

9 - What question would you ask a team-mate?

Jan: “That’s the hardest one. If you could do it all over again, what would you change?”

10 - What was your initiation song?

Jan: “That was ‘Yellow Submarine’ by The Beatles. It was shocking.”

11 - What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?

Jan: “Enjoy every day, with the right mentality. I’ve been in situations where I should have enjoyed every day, but I didn’t. Whatever your goals are in life, even if things aren’t going your way, enjoy that you have the chance to live and to live a good life.”

12 - What is your favourite sandwich?

Jan: “I’m going to say spicy chicken in a Suriname style. In Holland, they have very good Suriname kitchens, and also Indonesian kitchens, so a Suriname or Indonesian spicy chicken sandwich.”

13  - Can you describe your worst hairstyle?

Jan: “I’ve had a couple. When I went to High School, I didn’t have a hairstyle. I look back at pictures now and think ‘what was I doing?’ I don’t think I know what I was doing! It was just a mess!”

14 - What is your signature dish?

Jan: “Pancakes.”

15 - What is the biggest misconception of you?

Jan: “I’ve heard that I can come across as quite boring. I hope I’m not!”

16 - What is your favourite photograph?

Jan: “I have a nice one of me, my girlfriend Sophie and our two kids, we’re just sitting in the car, my daughter is jumping around and we’re all laughing. It’s a nice picture.”

17 - Do you still have your first medal from junior football?

Jan: “Maybe, in my bedroom at my mother’s house. It’s like a museum now! When I earned my 100th cap for Belgium, when I won a trophy at Ajax or if I win something, anything, it goes in that room.”

18 - If you could go back in time, where would you go?

Jan: “I would go back to when I was 15 and I’m going to choose a moment when I’m at home, just me, my parents and my brother sitting on the couch, having food at home and enjoying the day. I’d pay a lot of money to have that situation again.”