Monday, 10th June, 2013
In-demand defender Toby Alderweireld believes England’s Premier League is one of only two competitions capable of helping him fulfil his potential in football.
With 181 appearances for Ajax, the 24-year-old has been generating headlines in the summer transfer window, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal linked in.
While he is yet to play club football outside of Holland, his experience in all European competitions does give his CV a considerable boost.
He made his senior debut for Ajax in 2009, and with his contract running out next summer, is open to the idea of a fresh challenge abroad.
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"England and Germany have the great competitions, where I think I can make the next step", Alderweireld told Dutch daily De Telegraaf.
Indeed, such is the attraction of the Premier League that former Ajax player and current Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen has given his seal of approval for Alderweireld and FC Twente’s Nacer Chadli to make the move.
The product of Belgium’s deep-rooted youth system, Alderweireld has earned himself 23 senior caps, and played in a well-deserved 2-1 win over Serbia in Friday’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
However, he admitted he will only leave life in Holland for a high-flying club, adding: "I have to go somewhere where I can play football a bit and where my style of play suits.
"On the other hand, I do not want go there and play at the bottom. I want to leave Ajax for a nice club, otherwise I’ll just stay in Amsterdam."
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