Jan eyes early wins in Euro qualifiers

Belgium make a delayed start to their Euro 2016 qualification campaign this week, with Jan Vertonghen targeting maximum points from their two matches.

With last month’s scheduled clash with Israel having been postponed the Red Devils are playing catch-up in Group B, with a home game against Andorra on Friday followed by a trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday.

Defender Jan, who has started our last two Premier League matches and has made seven appearances in all competitions so far this term, believes it’s important to take points off both this week’s opponents as he bids to help his nation secure qualification for the tournament finals in France.

“We need a win against Andorra at home then we have Bosnia away where we need at least a point,” he said. “It’s important not to lose the away games, especially against direct opponents for qualification from the group.

“I’ve not played against Andorra or Bosnia before – the last time we played Bosnia I was injured – but it’s very important to get some early wins.

“The other teams have played already like Wales and Bosnia, so hopefully we can get off to a good start.”

Jan, who scored for Belgium as they reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup earlier this year, admits there’s always a great atmosphere among the players when he and his compatriots reconvene for international duty. And he hopes that positive vibe continues to be reflected on the pitch.

“I always like it – we’ve got a good bunch of lads in the Belgium squad just like we do here at Tottenham,” he added.

“The results have been good in the last few months and years, so it’s always good to join up with the squad and see some of the guys.”