Alderweireld: Mourinho a factor but I never considered leaving Tottenham

Toby Alderweireld claims to have never considered a move away from Tottenham, but admits the arrival of Jose Mourinho contributed towards his decision to end the uncertainty surrounding his future and commit to a new contract.

The Belgium international defender has agreed fresh terms which will keep him in north London until 2023.

It appeared at one stage as though he was destined to drop into the free agent pool, with the end of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign delivering stalemate in extension talks.

Mourinho’s appointment has convinced plenty that long-awaited silverware could soon be delivered, with Alderweireld among those to have bought into the ambition of a new coaching regime.

The 30-year-old says he was always happy to stay put and is pleased to have brought the endless rounds of speculation regarding a switch elsewhere to a close.

Alderweireld told the Evening Standard: “I understand the questions were there but I never thought about leaving.

“I don't like to talk about myself but the only thing I can say about myself is that every game I do everything on the pitch that I can. Everything. I think that's why maybe we have a good connection, the fans and me.

“I'm very happy and it was always in my mind to stay. It's easy to talk now like this after I signed a deal but hand on my heart it's true.

“Of course [Mourinho] is an influence but in a decision like this there's a lot of things to consider. You talk with your family, of course my wife. I'm 30, you think, 'Do I want something else?'

“The more I was thinking, 'What am I going to do?' the more my decision went towards Spurs. At the end, it was not a difficult decision.

“The connection with the fans was a big factor, big factor. From day one, it's a cliche but I felt at home, I felt good.

“I think they appreciate what I've done for the club and I just want to pay them back with loyalty and with good performances in the next couple of seasons.”

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Alderweireld could have made more money elsewhere had he walked away as a free agent and landed a signing-on fee at a different club, but finances were never a major factor in his decision.

He added: “There's a lot of things: family, how I feel about the club, the fans, how I am with the manager.

“Of course, there's a financial part as well, so it's all small parts that make your decision. I know I can get maybe a different deal somewhere else but I chose loyalty, Spurs and football.”

While Alderweireld has signed on at Spurs, the likes of Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen continue to run down their respective deals.

It remains to be seen what their plans are, and where they figure under Mourinho, but Alderweireld has been able to maintain his standards throughout a testing period in his career.

“Maybe I'm unusual,” he said after figuring in a 2-0 defeat to London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

“I don’t know what's in the heads of other players. I always enjoyed playing for Spurs, always.

“Even on nights like this, when everything goes wrong I try to put 100 per cent so they know I did everything for the club. And I'm quite a loyal guy. So if I'm going, it wasn't an easy step for me. I just want to be here for many more years.”