Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Toby Alderweireld says he extended his contract due to the loyalty he felt with the club, adding that he turned down the chance to earn more money elsewhere in the process.
The 30-year-old was set to leave Spurs on a free transfer at the end of the season after running down his contract in north London, but Alderweireld extended his deal just before the January transfer window until 2023.
Explaining why he chose to stay at Tottenham after letting his deal run until its last six months, Alderweireld explained that he wanted to pick loyalty with the club over a better financial deal elsewhere.
"Financially the club made a good effort that showed me they really wanted me so that gave me respect," Alderweireld said, quoted by The Telegraph. "I could maybe earn a lot more somewhere else, but then I chose loyalty, that’s worth something as well.
"I talked to my wife, we have a second kid on the way. First of all, I asked her: ‘What do you want?’ She said she’s happy to stay, she loves it here, but that I can choose whatever I want. That gave me the opportunity to explore everything that I wanted.
"But the more that I thought about a new episode somewhere else, the more I thought, ‘no, I just want to stay.’ I’ve always been happy here since day one. I’ve felt very wanted here and have a very good connection with the fans.
"Then, of course, the last step was the manager (José Mourinho), who really believed in me. I had a good connection with him from day one. So all those small steps took me into the big decision to stay."
New manager Mourinho had tracked Alderweireld throughout his time in charge at Manchester United and, had he still be in charge at Old Trafford, would have made a move for the Belgium international at the end of the season.
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Source :
90min
