If you’ve watched Belgian football recently and haven’t heard the nickname “Super Jan,” then you might not be familiar with the country’s Golden Generation footballers. The first son of Ria Mattheeuws and Paul Vertonghen, Jan Vertonghen, is often underrated despite his significant achievements in both club and country football. Alongside teammates like KDB and the great Romelu Lukaku, Jan’s contributions in defence helped Belgium maintain the top spot in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking for four consecutive years. But beyond the beautiful game, Jan Vertonghen has an incredible story that we’re here to tell. He rose from being an average player to an absolute defensive beast, becoming Ajax club captain and following in the footsteps of the illustrious Johan Cruyff. Subsequently, he became one of the 21st century’s most consistent defenders for Spurs. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of Vertonghen’s story.
All About Jan Vertonghen: Belgium’s Underrated Defensive Maestro.
Our Jan Vertonghen Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents – Ria Mattheeuws (Mother), Paul Vertonghen (Father), Family, Wife (Sophie de Vries), Lifestyle, Net Worth and Personal Life.
Yes, everyone is aware of his underrated status and his consistent performances during his time with Spurs in the Premier League as a versatile central defender who can also play as a left-back. However, only a few fans have read this version of Jan Vertonghen’s biography, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into Jan’s story.
Jan Vertonghen Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, his full names are Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen. He was born on the 24th day of April 1987 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, a town where hope comes when there is football at your feet.
The Spurs Legend was born as the first child of his mother, Ria Mattheeuws, and his father, Paul Vertonghen.
Jan’s early life story is interesting, if not uncommon – and it is all about that of a wonderful and well-celebrated firstborn child who became blessed with extraordinary talent.
The sweet baby years of Jan Vertonghen. We picture him celebrating his one-year birthday.
Jan grew into a young boy who possessed a steely determination to make his dreams come true. He had the childhood ambition to become a professional footballer and worked hard every single day.
His dreams, from a footballing perspective, weren’t just a passing fancy. It became a footstep that his kid brothers, Lode and Ward, followed.
Jan Vertonghen’s early years with football.
After spending time at VK Tielrode and Germinal Beerschot, Vertonghen joined the youth academy of Eredivisie side AFC Ajax.
Vertonghen’s breakthrough at Ajax was delayed by the presence of another Belgian, Thomas Vermaelen.
However, it later came to pass as he outgrew all club ranks and progressed to the club’s senior team.
The 2008–09 season was a breakthrough for the young defender. Following John Heitinga’s departure to Atlético Madrid, Vertonghen became Thomas Vermaelen’s first-choice partner in central defence.
He then rose to become Ajax club captain, following in the footsteps of the illustrious Johann Cruyff.
Jan Vertonghen was awarded the Eredivisie Player of the Year Award for the 2011–12 season. He led his club, Ajax, to their second consecutive title, scoring eight goals in 31 league games, showcasing his attacking strengths.
His rising importance led to top European teams calling for his services. It was Tottenham who finally won the race for him. The rest, as they say, is now history.
Who is Sophie de Vries? Jan Vertonghen’s Wife:
Jan Vertonghen has enjoyed great love during his many years in the Netherlands, his home country. Sophie, a theatre arts teacher, is the love of his life.
Meet Sophie de Vries. She is Jan Vertonghen’s Wife.
In 2014, Jan Vertonghen seemingly confirmed via Instagram that he and his girlfriend, Sophie de Vries, had just gotten engaged. The couple later became the proud parents of a little girl named Leyla, as shown in the picture below.
Jan Vertonghen Family Life:
Starting off, the Belgian Soccer Legend comes from a middle-class family background before football investment paid off for him and his family. Below is a photo of his parents (Ria and Paul), who are proud supporters of their son.
Jan Vertonghen’s Parents.
His mum, Ria Vertonghen, finds time to make a catalogue of her favourite son’s football collections with respect to his international and club career.
Ria Vertonghen surrounds her home with football collections of her darling son.
Jan Vertonghen has two younger brothers named Ward and Lode. Both brothers followed the footsteps of their elder brother, Jan, but had lesser success in their football careers.
Lode (pictured below) is Jan Vertonghen‘s immediate younger brother. He was born on Feb 5, 1990, and he is three years younger than Jan.
Lode Vertonghen, at the time of writing, currently plays for KFC Duffel (Belgian lower league) as a Defensive Midfield.
Below is Ward Vertonghen, another footballer of the lower Belgian league who is the youngest brother to Jan.
Bizzare Goal Record:
Back in 2006, Vertonghen scored a bizarre goal when he tried to pass the ball to the opposition goalkeeper when a player was down injured. To compensate for this goal, Ajax allowed the opposition a free run to score one back. This is truly the spirit of fair play.
Personal Life Away from Football:
Jan Vertonghen has the following attributes to his personality.
Jan’s Strengths:Â He is reliable, consistent, patient, practical, devoted, responsible and very stable in his career (both club and country).
Jan’s Pains: Despite his consistency and performance for Spurs for years, he is often being labelled as the most underrated defender in the premier league.
What Jan likes: He loves to work with his hands, especially in gardening. He also loves cooking and music.
Jan dislikes: He dislikes sudden career changes and complications, especially one that denotes insecurity in his first-team place for his team.
In summary, Jan is practical and well-grounded and is someone who loves to harvest the fruits of labour. He is sensual and tactile and considers touch and taste the most important of all his senses.
Jan Vertonghen Facts -Popularity Ranking:
Below is our popularity rank for Jan Vertonghen.
Jan Vertonghen Untold Bio – Humility and Underrated Status:
The respect for Jan Ventonghen speaks volumes, especially in Belgium. He is Belgium’s most capped player of all time with 99 appearances, someone who deserves the captaincy title.
Even Eden Hazard once offered him the captain’s armband, but he politely declined. This shows his humility.
Unfortunately, the complete defender who is well-suited for the modern game is criminally underrated.
This fact remains a genuine mystery despite him seeing through and nurturing the growth of Belgium’s golden generation players such as Youri Teilemans, Kevin de Bruyne Yannick Carrasco, etc.
Fact Check:
Stay tuned for more fascinating stories about Belgian footballers. The life histories of Johan Bakayoko and Leandro Trossard are sure to captivate you. Thank you for reading our facts about Jan Vertonghen. We aim for accuracy and fairness in bringing you Belgian football stories. If you notice any inaccuracies in Super Jan’s article, please leave your thoughts in the comment section!
