Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld says he is “honoured” by the online petition to replace the statue of former King Leopold II in Antwerp with one of the Belgian defender, although he thinks it is a bit far-fetched.
Last week, the statue of Leopold II – who oversaw Belgium’s rule of the Congo – was taken down after it was set on fire by anti-racism protesters, with 1000 signing the petition to replace it with the Spurs centre-back.
The removal of controversial statues is happening all over the world thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged following the death of George Floyd, who was killed after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds in Minneapolis on May 25.
Alderweireld, 31, who has 98 caps for Belgium, admitted that he was flattered by the idea of having a statue of himself put up in Ekeren – a northern district of the municipality of Antwerp – although he thought it was a joke.
“I was laughing [when I saw the petition],” he told The Guardian. “I thought it was some kind of joke, that people are actually signing the petition.
“I have to say I’m a little bit honoured as well. It’s a small town in Belgium and until I was 15 I spent my youth there. I went to school there and I still go back.
“If they really wanted to I would never say no because I would be honoured, but I will not sign my own petition. Of all the people who have, I think about 80 per cent are my friends.”
(Sky Sports)
