Toby Alderweireld

Tobias Albertine Maurits "Toby" Alderweireld (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtoːbi ˈɑldərˌwɛːrəlt]; born 2 March 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Belgium national team. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a right back.

Alderweireld began his professional career at Dutch club Ajax, where he won honours including three consecutive Eredivisie titles. In 2013 he moved to Atlético, where he won La Liga and reached the UEFA Champions League final in his first season.

A full international since 2009, he has earned over 50 caps for Belgium and represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Ajax

Born in Antwerp, Alderweireld moved to Ajax's youth academy in August 2004 from Germinal Beerschot. On 22 February 2007, he signed his first professional contract tying him to the club until 30 June 2010. He was promoted to the first team for the 2008–09 season but only made his first team debut on 18 January, in the 4–2 victory over NEC Nijmegen. On 26 February, he made his European debut during a 1–1 draw against Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup. Although he only made several appearances for the remainder of the season, he was awarded a new long-term contract extension until 2014.