Al Duhail defender Toby Alderweireld says he wasn't forced out of Tottenham.

He insists he was not forced out by Spurs but decided to escape the relentless rat race of European football.

“I'm not going to lie, it's good money," he told the London Evening Standard. “But I want to see my family a lot more. [Today in football] there's more games, more tournaments. More! I'm on 116 [Belgium] caps. It means I not only play the games but travel.

“For 13 years I'm in the national team, Europa League, Champions League, Premier League. It's always more, more [time] away from home.

“My daughter is three. My son is one-and-a-half. I miss them a lot. And I miss things from them a lot. They grow up, they do their first things. I'm never there. That was a big part for me. Maybe I'd enjoy my football more because I'd be more at home. I always had a feeling I wasn't there. How many Christmases did I miss? How many New Years?

“So I thought if I want to enjoy my football and keep enjoying it, I have to be more at home.

“I played two World Cups, two Euros. There's another World Cup coming. When do you say, 'enough'? I have goals [in football] and in the meantime I can bring my children to school and see them a lot more than in England.

“Spurs never pushed me [out]," adds Alderweireld, who signed a two-year deal with Al-Duhail, and wants to play in the Qatar World Cup next winter.

“I think I'm not lying when I say they respect what I did for the club. I gave my best years for the club, achieved a lot of big things together.

“And I have a lot of respect for Spurs. They said if you want to go, we understand. You gave your best for Spurs and we'll work with it if that's what you want."