Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: 5 key players for FA Cup semi-finals

#2 Jan Vertonghen

Vertonghen is the primary figure in the Spurs backline

The Belgian centre-back is often forgotten when the likes of Kane, Son, Eriksen and Alli plunder a litany of goals at the opposite end.

But quite simply, Spurs would find life really hard without him marshalling the backline. He's played in all but one game in the Premier League this season, and the fact that he's the joint-highest among the defenders in terms of appearances this term accentuates his importance to the side.

His brevity and formidable statuesque allow him to dominate his duels, as his 79% success rate in the take-ons (fifth best in the league) and 67% of the aerials ones (eighth best) would suggest.

Verthongen brings a sense of robustness and rigidity, so much so that Spurs can gleefully move forward and attack at will.

In the three appearances in the FA Cup this year, he's put on a man of the match performances in each of them and had it not been for Kane's prolific goalscoring, Vertonghen easily takes the cake when it comes to the best player in the team.

His defensive nous would be needed more than ever against United.