Vertonghen confesses that he is now a fan of goal-line technology

Jan Vertonghen has professed himself a goal-line technology convert after helping to get Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League season off to a winning start.

The Belgium international headed Spurs into the lead at Newcastle United on Saturday after running on to fellow defender Davinson Sanchez’s eighth-minute flick-on, although referee Martin Atkinson needed the help of the Goal Decision System to rule that the ball had crossed the line by just 9mm.

Vertonghen told Spurs TV: “I haven’t scored in the Premier League for a while, so I was happy to score.

“Davinson had a great touch with the first header – and there could have been another one later because from the other side, he had a first touch again, but I didn’t make that run again. I didn’t expect it to be in at first. The goalkeeper made a great save and I was happy with the technology. I’m not a big fan of technology in football, but now I am!”

In the event, Vertonghen’s contribution did not prove to be the decisive moment at St James’ Park. Joselu levelled within three minutes for the hosts and it took Dele Alli’s 18th-minute back-post header to win it for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The visitors needed a stroke of good fortune as Vertonghen blocked substitute Salomon Rondon’s late effort and saw the rebound come back off the crossbar, with Mohamed Diame having already hit the post.

Vertonghen said: “You go a bit blind and you hope for some contact, and I had it.

“Hugo [Lloris] was standing there in slo-mo and then it hit the bar and it fell the right way for us, so in the end we were a bit lucky.