| FULL NAME | Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld |
| BORN | March 2, 1989 |
| HEIGHT | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| NATIONALITY | Belgian |
| ROLE | Centre-back |
Toby Alderweireld is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the national team of Belgium. The Belgian, who was born on March 2, 1989, is noted for his mental toughness and devastating long-range passing.
Alderweireld, who is now a centre defender, can transition to right back with ease. The 29-year-old has been a full international since 2009, and he also represented his country in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Early days
The prodigy began his football career at the age of ten, when he joined Antwerp’s local team Germinal Beerschot. Alderweireld then transferred to the Ajax junior system in the Netherlands, where he flourished as a defender. Alderweireld joined the club in 2004 and had to wait four years to be promoted to the senior team.
He also competed for Belgium at the Under-15 level in 2004. After that, Alderweireld represented his country at every age level, including the 2006 UEFA Under-17 Championship.
Debut
Alderweireld is a town in the Dutch province of Alderweire At the age of 20, Alderweireld made his professional debut for Ajax in a 4-2 victory against NEC. A month later, he made his European debut in the UEFA Cup, drawing 1-1 with Fiorentina. Alderweireld had a quiet debut season, making only five league games and three in Europe.
Alderweireld made his international debut in a match against Czech Republic in 2009. After that, he was nominated to the 2010 World Cup Qualifying team, however he only played as a substitute.
Rise to Glory
After spending the most of his first season on the bench, he was promoted to the first squad and started in the second. Alderweireld was voted Ajax talent of the year for the 2009-2010 season after appearing in 31 League games. Both Alderweireld and his team had a golden period in the next several years. Ajax won the Eredivisie title for three years in a row, and Alderweireld improved significantly as a footballer, perfecting his center-back talents.
In 2013, Atletico Madrid signed the Belgian for a four-year contract for a fee of 7 million euros. Alderweireld played in 12 League games, scoring once in a 1-1 tie at home against Malalga. Atletico Madrid won the league and finished second in the Champions League.
In 2014, Alderweireld was moved on a season-long loan to Southampton in the English Premier League, where he made 25 appearances. Alderweireld went again in 2015, this time to Tottenham Hotspur for a sum of 11.5 million pounds, where he enjoyed a fantastic debut season.
Alderweireld, who made 38 appearances, also shown his attacking prowess by scoring four goals. He was recognised as one of the season’s greatest defenders after helping Tottenham to their greatest defensive record of only 25 goals conceded in 34 games. Alderweireld was named to both the PFA team of the year and the UEFA Europa League squad.
In the 2016-17 season, Alderweireld propelled his club to the best defensive record in the league, with only 26 goals surrendered. After missing numerous games due to a hamstring injury in the 2017-2018 season, Alderweireld has only played in 10 games since the start of the season.
Alderweireld has also had a strong worldwide presence. After representing Belgium in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Alderweireld led his country to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Argentina.