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#8 Jan Vertonghen (Belgium, Tottenham Hotspurs)
The Belgian defender has largely been overshadowed by his club and countryman Alderweireld in recent times, but this season, Vertonghen has clearly been the pick of the two. The central defender is extremely versatile and has also carried out a role in the midfield left on a couple of occasions this season.
Vertonghen is a ball playing centre-back who is technically gifted. He likes playing the ball out from the back and can spot a pass quite well; in the Premier League, he has averaged almost 70 passes per game. The Belgian regularly joins the build-up play and tried to find his forward players in the final third of the pitch. Vertonghen is also a great tackler and is extremely composed at the back.
The 32-year-old has ages of experience on his side and has been crucial to the Spurs team for quite some team now. This season, Vertonghen has averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the Premier League, but has given away just 0.5 fouls per game!
He has a tackle success rate of 76% in the Premier League. The Belgian missed a chunk of the season due to a hamstring injury and has managed 22 appearances in the league. He has one goal to his name this season in the league, but has picked up 3 yellow and 1 red card so far.
