Vertonghen happy to stay at Ajax

Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen has revealed he could remain with the Eredivisie champions until his contract expires in June 2013.

The Belgium international had been linked to several top European clubs before the 2011/12 campaign and would like to move to a bigger team in the future.

But the 24-year-old insists he is in no hurry to leave the Amsterdam-based side and is happy to see out the remainder of his contract with the Dutch giants.

“I will definitely stay for another six months,” the centre-back told the club’s official website. “I’ll just see what happens after that. Everybody knows that I’m an ambitious guy, but it’s not like a summer transfer is a must.”

“I want to make the next step in my career at some point, but it’s very well possible that I will stay at Ajax until the end of my contract.”

The defender took over as Ajax skipper at the beginning of the season following the departure of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg to Roma, and Vertonghen has enjoyed the responsibilities that come with wearing the armband.

“I’m not going out there to act like the captain, I don’t like that,” the Belgian added said. “I am trying to do it in a way that suits both me and the team.”

“That means that I always have to make sure I deserve to wear the armband on the pitch. I can only instruct others whenever necessary after that. I think the other players all accept that from me.”

Vertonghen signed for Ajax as a teenager in 2003 and broke into the first-team in 2008.