Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen (Dutch pronunciation: [jɑm ˈbɛrt ˈlivə vərˈtɔŋə(n)]; born 24 April 1987) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Pro League club Anderlecht.

Vertonghen made his international debut for Belgium in 2007 and his 157 caps (including three unofficial games, according to FIFA rules) are the most in the history of the national team.

[6] After spending time at VK Tielrode and Germinal Beerschot, Vertonghen moved to the Netherlands and signed a contract with the youth academy of Eredivisie side AFC Ajax.

[10] Vertonghen returned to Ajax for the 2007–08 season, where he was tipped for stardom, but was unable to break through due to a severe injury and the presence of central defenders John Heitinga and Thomas Vermaelen.

Johan Cruyff had made no secret of his admiration for the left-footed youngster who can handle any left-sided position in defence and midfield, opting, on 26 September 2008, to extend his contract to 30 June 2013.

After John Heitinga left for Atlético Madrid, Vertonghen became Thomas Vermaelen's first-choice partner in central defence; the former started 23 of the 26 games he played in and scored four goals.

Despite injuring his toe while on international duty against Spain the previous week, he scored his first goal of the season, a free kick, in a 6–0 thrashing of NAC Breda on 13 September.

[12] With the departure of Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal, he and fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld become the first choice centre-back pairing and soon became a firm fans' favourite.

[17][18] In May 2011, Frank de Boer confirmed Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was present at the 2011 KNVB Cup Final held on 7 May 2011, where Vertonghen's side lost 3–2 to Twente.

After an impressive season, including a performance for which he was singled out for praise against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, he was named the 2011–12 Eredivisie Player of the Year.

Named team captain by Frank de Boer, he led his Ajax to their second title in a row, scoring eight goals in 31 league games, highlighting his attacking strengths.

[21] Throughout the 2011–12 season, Vertonghen was linked with English club Tottenham Hotspur and publicly expressed his desire to make the move to White Hart Lane ahead of numerous other teams.

[28] Vertonghen was named in the 2012–13 PFA Team of the Year, alongside Rio Ferdinand, Leighton Baines and Pablo Zabaleta in defence.

Vertonghen helped Spurs to reach the 2015 League Cup Final and started the game on 1 March 2015, but Tottenham lost to rival club Chelsea at Wembley Stadium 2–0.

[51][52] He returned to play in the leg in Amsterdam wearing a protective mask, and helped the team to a dramatic win against Ajax that sent Tottenham to their first Champions League final.

[53][54] Vertonghen later revealed that the collision left him with symptoms of concussion such as dizziness and headaches for nine months afterwards, which affected his performance in the following and final season with Tottenham.

[59] He made his debut on 15 September away to Greece's PAOK FC in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, a 2–1 loss in a one-leg match where he scored an own goal.

On 5 May 2024, in a 0-0 Belgian Pro League Champions’ Playoffs match in the Brussels Derby against R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Vertonghen picked up a groin injury, sidelining him for the rest of the season.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, he began to establish himself as a regular for Belgium, initially at centre-back as former Ajax teammate Thomas Vermaelen's partner.

[71] In the team's opening match against Algeria, the African side was awarded a penalty after Vertonghen pulled down Sofiane Feghouli and received a yellow card.

[75] In 2016, he injured two ligaments in his ankle in an accident while training before the quarter-final against Wales during UEFA Euro 2016, and as a result missed the match that Belgium lost.

[76] Eleven years to the day on from his international debut, against the same opposition (Portugal), Vertonghen won his 100th cap (the first in Belgian history), which was presented to him by his mother.

[77] At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Vertonghen initiated the scoring in Belgium's second-half comeback from a 2–0 deficit against Japan, heading into the far post from 20 yards out as his side went on to win 3–2.

[78] Vertonghen was called up to Belgium's squads for UEFA Euro 2020,[79] in which they reached the quarter-finals, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup,[80] in which they were eliminated in the group stage.

[82] Vertonghen announced his retirement from international football on 5 July 2024, ending his Belgium career with a record 157 appearances across seventeen years.