After months of speculation over his future, Toby Alderweireld once again found himself the centre of debate among Tottenham fans during Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Indeed, it was noted that the Belgium defender played the entire game without a badge on his Spurs shirt, with several supporters left wondering if it was a cryptic protest at the club's refusal to let him leave over the summer.

Toby Alderweireld played in Tottenham's Premier League defeat to Liverpool without a club crest on his shirt. Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images

Oddly, reporter Alasdair Gold claimed that Alderweireld was sent out onto the Wembley pitch with a fully-badged shirt for both the first and second half, yet still somehow played without the famous cockerel on his chest.

Of course, rather than a coded message to the outside world, it's altogether more likely to have been a manufacturing error with the shirt, or perhaps an emergency spare brought in at late notice.

But where's the fun in that?