#5 Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham Hotspur
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Arguably a surprising name on this list is Jan Vertonghen, but it’s unlikely any Premier League fan would argue his incredible ability on the ball.
Made easier by the way Spurs play, he is always looking to pass or move the ball forward. This is made clear by 75% of his passes made being forward passes and his successful take on percentage being 96.55%, an incredible stat for a centre-back.
Also read: How Wembley could affect Tottenham Hotspur's 2017/18 season
The Belgian has thrived in a three at the back and has worked wonderfully alongside fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld, who himself is a very good ball playing defender. Vertonghen has always been very good with the ball and has a good range of passing, and it has become even more noticeable in Tottenham’s new formation.
It is very surprising that Alderweireld has received more plaudits from neutral fans because Vertonghen arguably performed better than his compatriot this past season, and he certainly contributed more in terms of bringing the ball forward as Vertonghen made 350 more forward passes, in a similar number of minutes to Alderweireld.
