Jose Mourinho says Tottenham cult hero is ‘still one of my boys’
Jose Mourinho and Jan Vertonghen may have been on the same side at Tottenham but they met again as foes this week, but the Portuguese manager says the Belgian centre-back is and will always be one of his boys.
Jose Mourinho and Jan Vertonghen meet once again
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho and ex-Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen faced off on Thursday night in the Europa League—this time as rivals.
Fenerbahce, Mourinho’s current club, aimed to secure a place in the Europa League round of 16 with a win over Belgian side Anderlecht, where Vertonghen now plays.
However, it was the Turkish side that dominated, sealing a commanding 3-0 victory with goals from Tadic, Dzeko, and En-Nesyri proving to be enough.
This defeat leaves Anderlecht with a massive challenge in the second leg, as they must overturn a three-goal deficit.
Jose Mourinho remains pleased with former player Jan Vertonghen
While the Belgian side has plenty to worry about, The Special One and Jan Vertonghen took a moment to rekindle their friendship.
The centre-back gifted his former Tottenham Hotspur boss his shirt after the match, and true to his charismatic style, Mourinho used his post-match press conference to remind his former player that he is still ‘his boy.’
Speaking to the media, as relayed by De Telegraaf, he said: “Jan is still one of my boys. That will always be the case. How he works as a player, but also as a person. I love that. I will cherish his shirt.”
Jan Vertonghen and Jose Mourinho’s time at Tottenham
Jan Vertonghen’s time at the Lilywhites was a successful one, as the centre-back made an outstanding 315 appearances over eight years, made it to the PFA team of the year in his first season, reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and was the club’s player of the year in 2018.
| Achievement | Year |
|---|---|
| Appearances for Tottenham | 315 |
| PFA Team of the Year | 2012 |
| UEFA Champions League Finalist | 2019 |
| Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year | 2018 |
| Years at the Club | 2012-2020 |
Jose Mourinho on his part, had a rocky time at Spurs that saw him get sacked a few days before the Carabao Cup final.
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