Vertonghen: United up with the best

Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen may have long term dreams of a move to Manchester United but his more immediate ambition is to defeat Alex Ferguson’s men in the Europa League.

Ajax and United face off in Amsterdam tonight and the 24-year-old Belgium international is relishing it.

He said: “Manchester United are one of the best teams in the world and up there with Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have so many dangerous and talented players. The Premier League is the only competition in the world that I watch every week. I do not have a favourite team but I regularly follow the top sides — the two from Manchester and the London teams. I hope one day I can play for Manchester United or Tottenham.”

Vertonghen has been at Ajax since 2003 and watched when United faced Liverpool at the weekend but spoke in defence of his former teammate, Luis Suarez.

“The whole controversy has been blown out of proportion. Luis is an amazing person. He is not a racist, not at all.”