Fighting spirit has returned says Jan
JAN VERTONGHEN says Jose Mourinho has got Tottenham fired up and ready to scrap.
Spurs showed they are not averse to some rough stuff as they edged out Wolves 2-1 at Molineux on Sunday.
And it was a rare Vertonghen goal — an injury-time header — that clinched the points to send Spurs up to fifth in the table.
Mourinho’s men had to show their edgy side to cope with a Wolves team who threatened to give them a mauling.
Vertonghen said: “Yes, the gaffer has a lot to do with it. He has brought that fighting mentality back and we had a lot of meetings this week about this game. Tactically, Wolves are a very good side, they will always have good spells in the game.”
The Belgian defender’s winner made it four wins out of five Premier League games since Mourinho took charge.
Vertonghen said: “If you saw the celebrations at the end of the game, it meant a lot for us. It was a tough one, because near the end you think, ‘Should we be happy with a draw or not?’
“We had lots of games last season when we won right at the end. It is the best feeling. We can’t give up. Wolves wanted a late goal too – but we believed just that bit more.”
Vertonghen goals are a bit like Christmas – they come around once a year. His last in the league was on the opening day of last season at Newcastle.
The 32-year-old is one of the players who are out of contract at the end of the season but he insists he just wants to play, even if it is at left-back.
He said: “I love football too much to sit on the sidelines. I’m just happy to play, even though it’s not really my position, I’ll just help the team out and play.”