Vincent Janssen reveals family tragedy that saw kid brother Jan lost to cancer
Says Spurs striker: 'My bro still exists for me. I think Jan would have been proud of me, I'm sure he sees me occasionally'
SPURS striker Vincent Janssen has revealed the family tragedy behind his rise to stardom.
The Dutchman suffered a 20-minute loss of memory after a shuddering collision with Belgium keeper Simon Mignolet in a midweek friendly.
But he will never forget his kid brother Jan, who died of cancer when Janssen was six.
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Janssen, 22, said: “My brother still exists for me.
“I often think Jan would have been proud of me, I am sure he sees me occasionally.
“I still remember the last two years before his death very well, even though it was 16 years ago.
“Jan had leukaemia. My parents lived with him at the Ronald McDonald Huis in Leiden where he was nursed.
“Eventually they came home but a short time later doctors revealed the cancer had spread everywhere. Not long after he died.”
The tragedy means that Tottenham’s £17million striker is plenty strong enough to deal with stick from fans for still not having scored for the club from open play.
Or being criticised by Dutch legend Ruud Gullit for trying too hard. Or being booted out of Dutch clubs NEC and Feyenoord before moving to AZ Alkmaar and then to White Hart Lane.
Janssen, the son of Olympic swimmer Annemarie Verstappen, added: “Feyenoord had Graziano Pelle, Mitchell te Vrede, Anass Achahbar and Sekou Cisse — they saw no future for me.
“Of course I was disappointed but I had my pride and I knew I could do it. I was not afraid for my career.”
Janssen has had a tough start at Spurs, starting less than half the club’s games despite Harry Kane’s two-month absence with an ankle injury.
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He scored 27 league goals for Alkmaar last term but so far this season his only success is three from the penalty spot.
That led Gullit to suggest he is trying too much to impress.
But Janssen insists it was the right move, the right time and the right club for him after he heard what boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted from him.
German club Wolfsburg were interested and another Premier League club also came in. But Janssen revealed to Dutch magazine Helden: “I told AZ I just wanted Spurs.
“There were clubs that wanted to pay more money and I could have earned much more elsewhere — even in England. Believe me, I did not choose Spurs for the money.
“But, with the knowledge of AZ, I spent a day with my agents visiting London, had a tour of the wonderful training ground and talked extensively with Pochettino.
“He said frankly: ‘We have Harry Kane, but we can certainly use someone behind him. We play so many games and you're just the type we are looking for in another striker’.
“After that visit I knew I wanted just one club. And I got the No 9 shirt, which also gave me confidence.
“Of course, I had hoped that I would often play when Kane got injured. But I do not get panicked easily. And the club is giving me time to get used to the Premier League.”
Janssen is also getting used to London and spends his spare time cooking and learning the piano.
He said: “I have lessons three hours a week and can already read music.”