Toby Alderweireld is back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as our special guest for our UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.
Supporters will hear from Toby ahead of the 8pm kick-off at 7.45pm when he will reminisce about some fantastic Spurs memories over six years with Paul Coyte.
One of our best defenders of the modern era, Toby was snapped up from Atletico Madrid in July, 2015, and formed a formidable central partnership with fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen, the pair providing the backbone of our Champions League qualification in 2015/16 and our best defensive record in a Premier League campaign (26 goals conceded) on our way to second place in 2016/17.
Toby started both legs of the quarter-final, semi-final and then the final in our Champions League run of 2018/19. He went on to make 236 appearances in his six years at Spurs before starting a new chapter at Al-Duhail SC in Qatar.
Toby on his debut against Manchester United in August, 2015
Scoring his first goal for the Club in a 4-1 win over Manchester City at White Hart Lane the following month
Celebrations from the defender following his header against City
He once again found the target for us in the November - this time, in a 4-1 win over West Ham
The centre-back opened his account for us in the north London derby in a memorable 2-2 draw in March, 2016
He also scored in a statement 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Lane the following month
Celebrations with Jan Vertonghen after his header against United
Alongside Danny Rose, Dele and Harry Kane, Toby receives his 2015/16 PFA Premier League Team of the Year Award from Club legend Paul Allen
All smiles in training with Danny Rose ahead of the 2016/17 campaign
After a five-year absence from the Champions League, Toby scored our first goal back in the competition against AS Monaco in September, 2016
Toby and Jan Vertonghen formed a strong defensive partnership during the 2016/17 campaign as we conceded just 26 goals in the Premier League
Challenging Adam Lallana of Liverpool at Anfield in February, 2017
Competing in our FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in April, 2017
Smiles in the rain at the Lane as we crown our old home's finale with victory over Manchester United in 2017
Celebrations with Kieran Trippier after hitting the target in a 7-1 win over Hull City in May, 2017
At Magic Kingdom with Ben Davies, Dele and Harry Winks as part of our 2017 pre-season tour of the United States
Signing autographs for fans alongside Harry Kane at Nike Town, New York, as our pre-season tour moved north
Up against Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in a Champions League group stage clash at Wembley in October, 2017
On duty for Belgium at the 2018 World Cup as the Red Devils finished third
Challenging Barcelona's Lionel Messi in a Champions League group stage clash at Wembley in October, 2018
With Serge Aurier ahead of a training session at Hotspur Way in November, 2018
Jubilation at the Nou Camp in December, 2018, as we secure our place in the Champions League knockout stages
Celebrating the final goal of the night as we stormed to a 3-0 win in the first leg of our Champions League round of 16 tie with Borussia Dortmund
Checking out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time alongside Jan Vertonghen - March, 2019
Celebrating our dramatic Champions League quarter-final victory over Manchester City in April, 2019
Euphoria after Lucas Moura's hat-trick strike sent us through to the Champions League Final in May, 2019
Celebrations at full-time in Amsterdam in front of the travelling support
More celebrations with Victor Wanyama and Ben Davies at the Johan Cruyff Arena
In training with Michel Vorm, Serge Aurier, Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Sissoko in Madrid ahead of the Champions League Final
Heading out at the Wanda Metropolitano ahead of the Champions League Final - June 2019
Celebrations at West Ham in November, 2019, as we take all three points with a 3-2 win
All smiles after putting pen-to-paper on a new contract with the Club the following month
Delivering Christmas presents to children at a local hospital a few days later
Celebrating a dramatic late win in the rain over Wolves at Molineux just before Christmas, 2019
Leading the team out as captain for the first time as we welcomed Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January, 2020
What a finish! A strike at Aston Villa the following month
Celebrating his winner against Arsenal in July, 2020
Skippering the side again - this time, away at KF Shkendija in our Europa League third qualifying round encounter in September, 2020
Halting the progress of Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus in a 2-0 win in November, 2020
Taking on the Dare Skywalk in August, 2020
Toby's final goal for the Club came in a 3-0 win over Leeds United
In action against Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup Final
Applauding supporters after our final home game of the 2020/21 campaign
And there was a footballing fairytale to follow. Signing for his home city club Royal Antwerp in 2022, Toby won the Belgian Cup in April 2023 and then, at the end of his first season, scored a 94th-minute equaliser to secure the club's first title for 66 years. The team then reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time the following season, 2023/24.
After winning 127 caps - in the top five all-time caps for De Rode Duivels, a list topped by Jan's 157 - and appearing in three World Cups, winning bronze in 2018, Toby announced his international retirement in 2023. At the end of last season, 2024/25, after 635 career appearances for Ajax, Southampton, Atletico Madrid, Al-Duhail and Royal Antwerp, Toby announced his retirement.
Speaking to us on his departure back in 2021, Toby reflected on his time in Lilywhite. “We conceded 26 goals in 2016/17, the best in the Club’s history, so maybe when I finish my career, I’ll look back at that as a very special time,” he reflected. “I was part of it as we wrote our names in Club history, great days.
“I’ve only good memories. There are not a lot of players who stay at a club for six years now. I’m always very loyal, always happy to play. I never talk about myself, but maybe now is the moment... I always did my best, and I hope people see that every time I stepped onto the pitch, I gave 100 per cent for the shirt.
“I always wanted to be part of the Club’s history and the Club will be with me forever.”
