Wed 28 October 2020, 20:11
Tottenham HotspurThirteen-and-a-half years after turning professional, Toby Alderweireld finally has a chance to play in his home city of Antwerp – and he’s relishing his return to the place he holds dearest.
A quiet, family man away from the limelight, the experienced defender has travelled with the squad for Thursday evening’s Europa League Group J, matchday two outing against Belgian league leaders Royal Antwerp, based just eight miles north of the place he was born and raised.
Toby himself belongs to the southern half of the city – born in Wilrijk, he played for Royal Antwerp’s main rivals Beerschot as a youngster before leaving for Ajax as a 15-year-old in 2004 – but after nearly a decade in Holland and a couple of years with Atletico Madrid in Spain prior to his move to the Premier League with Southampton and Spurs, not to mention over 100 senior caps for Belgium, he’s finally preparing for a senior competitive fixture in the city he loves.
“It’s special because I’ve never played in my home city – not in an official game – so it’s going to be strange, but special,” he told Spurs TV. “I’ve been lucky to live in big cities – at this moment I live in London, an unbelievable city, so I feel at home as well – but it’s my home town, it’s where I come from, it’s where I go when it’s a holiday or when I have a day off and can travel – I always go there to see my family, so it’s very special.”
Belgian Cup winners last season, Royal Antwerp could be considered Toby’s rivals given his history with Beerschot, but he’s nevertheless excited to be heading to the Bosuilstadion with us as we look to build on last week’s 3-0 home win over LASK in our group stage opener.
“Yes, but of course I was younger,” said the 31-year-old when asked if he considers Thursday’s hosts an ‘enemy’. “Now I just enjoy that Antwerp football is growing bigger again, better again, a little bit like the old times. I think that’s what a city like Antwerp needs to have – two big teams to fight for big things, so I’m happy that both clubs are going in the right direction.
“Even if I played for the other side, I think it’s a very beautiful club (that we’re playing). It’s number one in Belgium, it’s the oldest club in Belgium so the fanbase is very big. The stadium is getting newer and newer because they’re changing it, but there is a lot of history about them. If you come from there, it’s a special moment.”
With Royal Antwerp on a five-match winning streak – the last of which was a 3-2 home victory against Beerschot on Sunday – while we’re unbeaten in 10 in all competitions, Toby expects a difficult game.
“They are in a good moment, they’re a physical team, they know how to get a result and it’s one of their games of the season,” he said. “It’s going to be a big game for us. We just need to keep this momentum going and win every game that comes our way. We don’t need to think ‘oh, maybe we do this’ – no – just try to win, give everything and we go from there.”
