Toby Alderweireld hung up his boots in July of 2025, bidding goodbye on a magnificent career that was arguably best remembered by Tottenham fans for six years at the heart of their defence. He brought an end to what was a magnificent 17-year senior career which was defined by his defensive skills at every level, from his boyhood club Ajax to his final years captaining his local team, Royal Antwerp, in Belgium.
The Pochettino era between 2016 and 2019 was the most modern, most united Tottenham looked in the Premier League era. Kane-Son-Dele Alli-Eriksen will always take away the spotlight, but none of that football would have seemed so fluid without the Vertonghen + Alderweireld centre backs pairing. Toby’s signature pass was a symbol of that team: the diagonal switch from right centre-back straight to the far-side winger, which earned him the nickname “Lord of the Pings“. That pass was Tottenham’s “build-up” hack at that time.
In the 2016/2017 Premier League season, Alderweireld was central to the Tottenham side that finished second in the league, achieving the club’s best-ever defensive record in the Premier League era, conceding only 26 goals that season. His consistency during that period earned him a place in the 2016 PFA Men’s Team of the Year.
Toby Alderweireld made a total of 236 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur across all competitions during his time at the club (2015-2021). He made 127 appearances for Belgium too, between 2009 and 2022. He retired as the 3rd most capped player of all time for Belgium in 2025, behind Jan Vertonghen (1st) and Axel Witsel (2nd).
But I guess, that is not enough to describe Toby. He currently surprised fans, especially Spurs’ fans, with something strange and hilarious at the same time.
He was featured on the Belgian edition of The Masked Singer – the iconic singing reality program where celebrities dress up in full costumes and perform music live on stage while the judges and the public try to identify who they are behind their mask. The format is famous all across the world, but this was different.
This wasn’t just any celebrity. This was Toby – the Spurs defender who once marked Eden Hazard and Sergio Aguero — now standing on a stage in a complete armoured “Eagle Owl” costume, holding a microphone, and screaming out The Killers’ classic “Mr Brightside.”
The clip and his dressing went viral straight away. Spurs fans could not believe it. Alderweireld, normally the composed and serious professional, who was a Premier League player at one time, suddenly transformed out of nowhere into a stage performer singing one of the most memorable early-2000s indie rock songs of all time. The statement “not on my 2025 bingo card” shows exactly that.
It was so unexpected that nobody could’ve predicted it even on a betting platform.
It wasn’t a casual fan event or a pub karaoke moment – It was a fully produced TV series with lights, costume, stage, and everything else.
Unfortunately, Toby didn’t proceed further to the next round and this was his final appearance in the 3rd episode of the show.
Following his exit, he wrote:
“And that’s a wrap for me on The Masked Singer! I had the best time performing and keeping the secret alive. Massive thanks to my partner in feathers, Oehoe. What a ride!” [The Independent]
The show is being televised on the VTM network in Belgium (Flemish Version). It first premiered on October 17, 2025 and the season comprises of 14 celebrities competing against each other, disguised in strange costumes. The show is hosted by Jens Dendoncker and features a panel of celebrity “detectives” who try to guess the identities of the singers.
What I find most fascinating about this is the way footballers these days are turning into different kinds of people after their career days are coming to a stop. Earlier, the only post-retirement career options that the ex-players took were coaching, punditry or business, (like in the case of Blaise Matuidi). Now, they can be seen in cooking shows, dance competitions, and in Toby’s case – a singing show were he is disguised under a huge bird costume.
He should be thankful that he was not a Manchester United player, otherwise, we know what would’ve taken place with a certain Irish midfielder passing hilarious comments from the punditry studio. Guess who?
It remains to seen whether he becomes a full-time entertainer. I highly doubt it. But it does give us an insight into football culture in 2025 that ex-players can be fun now. They are allowed to surprise us. And honestly, a Champions League finalist from Spurs singing “Mr Brightside” on national TV is one of those perfect internet moments, strange, pure, and nostalgic — all together.
Here is the video:
Just a clip of former Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld as 'Eagle Owl' on Belgium's “The Masked Singer”… 👀😳pic.twitter.com/Lf2vQPe5iB
— Football Confidential 🌐 (@footballconfid1) November 7, 2025
