Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld has explained that he has no qualms about playing as a right-back for the Belgium national team.

The 27-year-old, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Southampton in the 2014/15 campaign before joining Spurs from Atletico Madrid last summer, has been in good form this season too.




Not only has Alderweireld helped Tottenham to have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, he has also managed to score four goals and provide two assists in 36 league outings.

Despite playing as a centre-back with aplomb at Southampton and Tottenham, Belgium boss Marc Wilmots deploys Alderweireld as a full-back in the national set-up, with Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen marshalling the heart of Belgium’s defence.
 


However, Alderweireld insists he has no problem playing as a right-back as he feels he can effectively contribute to Belgium’s attacks.

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The former Ajax man then went on to add that he is pleased to make Belgium’s right-back spot his own, with several players playing in the position without much success previously.

“Many people are asking if I still have to play as a full back in the national team after two good seasons in England”, he told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

“My answer is a cliche: the manager decides and I do what the manager tells me. That’s the team player in me. I finally get respect as a right-back in Belgium and that’s perhaps something I’m most pleased about.

“In the beginning I wasn’t convinced about my performances either. I was confident, but there were doubts in my mind. I had to grow into my role: it took a while.

“A good World Cup in Brazil gave me an extra boost. I’m not a player like [Kevin] De Bruyne who can score five times in one game, but I now add a certain stability to a team. I have given three assists in the Euro qualifiers.

“That means that I contributed to the attacking play too, you know? Even if it was just a short pass to [Marouane] Fellaini, one to [Dries] Mertens, but I was there. I have no actions, no dribbling or awesome skills, but I’m functional.

“In the years before my arrival the manager had to switch full backs every few games, but I’ve brought continuity. There are no doubts anymore. That satisfies me the most.”