Tottenham defender makes extraordinary injury admission
By Matt Farr
Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld has made the extraordinary admission that he feared he was paralysed after suffering a knee injury earlier in the season.
The Belgium international clashed with team-mate Jan Vertonghen during the 1-1 draw with West Brom back in October, and was forced to leave the field on a stretcher.
The setback was a devastating blow to his season ambitions, as the 27-year-old was ruled out for two months, forcing him to sit out of crucial fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Speaking to Belgian publication Humo, Alderweireld revealed in detail how he feared the worst following the injury due to the pain he was suffering.
He said: “At the bottom of the knee, you have a nerve that extends all the way down to your foot. It got trapped through the contact with Jan. It felt like I was paralysed. I could no longer move my toes.
“Specialists told me to relax and I got the feeling back in my toes pretty soon. I thought, ‘it’s okay’, but I still could not walk after three days. Then I started to worry.
“If after two weeks you still have no feeling in your leg, you start to wonder ‘will it ever return.'”
Alderweireld returned to the Tottenham line-up to face Premier League title rivals Manchester United on December 11, but his side were beaten 1-0 thanks to Henrik Mkhitaryan’s strike.
After a second appearance against Hull just days later, Alderweireld sat out the next two fixtures with a back injury, before returning once again to face Watford in the new year.
Since the victory at Vicarage Road on January 1, Alderweireld has been part of a Tottenham defence that has conceded just two goals from five games.
The defender has been a key player for the north London side since his £11.5million transfer from Southampton back in July 2015.
He has made a total of 86 appearances in all competitions.
In other Tottenham news, here are three players that reported new Tottenham recruitment guru Steve Hitchen could sign.
We’ve launched an <<EXCLUSIVE TRANSFER WINDOW NEWS FEED>>. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Tottenham transfer news