Jan Vertonghen opens up on sickening concussion after-effects for nine months at Spurs

Benfica defender Jan Vertonghen has shockingly revealed that he suffered the effects of a concussion sustained in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Ajax in 2019 for nine months. The Belgian star, who left Spurs earlier in the summer, recalled the blow he suffered to his head which left him dizzy for nearly 10 months every day, eventually ruining the last season of his contract with the North London giants. Vertonghen also explained how he tried to play through the pain and it wasn't until football's shutdown due to coronavirus that he was able to rest and fully recover. 

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Jan Vertonghen's concussion during UCL semi-final vs Ajax

While speaking to Belgium’s Sporza TV on Tuesday, Jan Vertonghen recalled the time he suffered a sickening blow to his head during Spurs' UCL first-leg clash against Ajax in 2019. The centre-back was involved in an aerial collision with former teammate Toby Alderweireld and Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana but soon had to be helped off the field after he was seen vomiting on the pitch. However, Vertonghen still played in the second leg when Spurs recorded a stunning comeback win over Ajax to progress to their first UCL final. 

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Vertonghen, who left Tottenham to join Benfica on a free transfer in the summer of 2020, said, "Lots of people don't know but I suffered a lot from that hit: dizziness and headaches. This is the first time I am talking about it. I should not have continued playing because it affected me in total for nine months and that's why I couldn't bring what I wanted to on the field."

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Vertonghen went on to explain that the after-effects of his concussion also led to a dip in form during the final year of his contract with Spurs as Jose Mourinho replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino at the helm. 

"I still had a year left on my contract with Tottenham, so I had to play to get a new one, but when I played, I played badly. Not many people knew that was my own choice, I'm not blaming anyone. The fact I got benched had nothing to do with (Mourinho). I was in a period I could not bring what I should have. I even thought he played me a lot compared to how I performed."

Vertonghen concluded by stating that the suspension of football due to COVID-19 allowed him to rest and fully recover. However, it was a little too late for him to impress Mourinho when the season resumed as Spurs opted against offering him a contract extension and offloaded him on a free transfer. 

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Image Credits - Jan Vertonghen Instagram