Jan Vertonghen targeting Europa League and FA Cup trophies this season as Tottenham get back in the groove

Belgian defender back after five weeks out and now keen to push for success on three fronts in the final months of the season

Jan Vertonghen made his return from injury during Tottenham's FA Cup victory over Fulham (Getty)

Jan Vertonghen marked his return to the Tottenham Hotspur side by pledging that they are hoping to lift both the FA Cup and the Europa League in May.

Spurs will face Millwall in the FA Cup quarter-finals next month and this Thursday they have the chance to overturn their 1-0 deficit in the Europa League against KAA Gent. The Premier League looks beyond Spurs but, in the third season of the Mauricio Pochettino era at White Hart Lane, there is a clear focus to get their hands on a trophy this season.

Tottenham lost the League Cup final in 2015 and then missed out on the Premier League title in 2016. The players are desperate to change that in 2017,which is why they played such a strong side at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

“I think the manager understands the importance of the Europa League and the FA Cup as well, and it’s good that we take it very seriously,” Vertonghen said. “We want to win both, and to compete in the league as well. I think our team is fit enough to cope with these things.”

Vertonghen is one of the few Spurs players with experience of winning silverware, having won two Dutch titles and one Dutch cup with Ajax before he left for Tottenham in 2012. He wants to do the same at Spurs, and thinks it would be a fair reward for their improvement under Pochettino.

“We played the final against Chelsea at Wembley in 2015 and we want more of that,” he said. “I won some silverware at Ajax and it’s the best thing there is in football. I think this team and the technical staff deserve a trophy at this club.”

Spurs lost 2-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea that day, two years ago next week, but Vertonghen said that Spurs have developed much further since then. “It’s only two years but we have improved a lot, we’ve got stronger,” Vertonghen said. “The gaffer has had time to work with us and we understand the way he wants us to play. We are a lot stronger than then and we have shown that in the last couple of years.”

Vertonghen believes Spurs need to win a trophy this season to continue their development (Getty)

Now that Vertonghen is back Spurs have a better chance, allowing them to rotate in defence and giving the option, when Danny Rose returns, of going back to the 3-5-2 system with which Spurs have played their best football. Vertonghen was feared to be out for eight or even 10 weeks when he turned his ankle last month, but was in fact back after just five weeks. “I’m used to ankle recoveries now and I worked very hard with the medical staff,” he said. “It went very well, I didn’t have any set-backs, so hopefully it will stay like this until the end of the season.”

“It’s good of course if you get players back from injury,” said team-mate Toby Alderweireld. “Everybody knows Jan is an important player, it’s good to have all players back.”