Thomas Vermaelen

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Thomas Vermaelen
Thomas Vermaelen 2018.jpg
Vermaelen with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Thomas Vermaelen[1]
Date of birth (1985-11-14) 14 November 1985 (age 35)[2]
Place of birth Antwerp, Belgium[3]
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[4]
Position(s) Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Vissel Kobe
Number 4
Youth career
1991–1999 Germinal Ekeren
1999–2000 Germinal Beerschot
2000–2003 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2009 Ajax 97 (7)
2003–2005 → RKC Waalwijk (loan) 33 (12)
2009–2014 Arsenal 110 (13)
2014–2019 Barcelona 34 (1)
2016–2017 → Roma (loan) 9 (0)
2019– Vissel Kobe 31 (1)
National team‡
2002–2003 Belgium U18 5 (0)
2003–2004 Belgium U19 7 (0)
2004–2007 Belgium U21 12 (1)
2006– Belgium 85 (2)
Honours
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:10, 30 May 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:46, 2 July 2021 (UTC)

Thomas Vermaelen (born 14 November 1985) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for J1 League club Vissel Kobe and the Belgium national team. Being left-footed, he usually plays as a left-sided centre-back and can play at left-back as well.[5] His key attributes include aerial ability, leadership skills, and his quickness with the ball at his feet. He is also known for his goalscoring ability as a defender.

Vermaelen joined the Ajax youth academy in 2000 and won the 2003–04 Eredivisie title in his first season with the club. He had a loan spell with RKC Waalwijk before rejoining Ajax and winning the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield. After Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's departure in 2009, he served as club captain for the remainder of the season. He joined Arsenal in 2009 and was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for that season. Following Robin van Persie's transfer to Manchester United in August 2012, he was named club captain but found first team opportunities limited due to the success of Arsenal's new first-choice defensive partnership of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny. In August 2014, he completed a £15 million transfer to Barcelona in La Liga.[6] In 2019, he joined Vissel Kobe.

Vermaelen made his international debut for Belgium in 2006, and took part at the 2008 Olympics, where Belgium came fourth, as well as the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018 (where Belgium came third), and the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020.

Club career[]

Vermaelen with Ajax from 2000 to 2009

Early career[]

Vermaelen started his youth career in his home country with Germinal Ekeren, which later became Germinal Beerschot after a merger.

Ajax[]

Vermaelen joined the academy of Dutch club Ajax. He made his professional debut on 15 February 2004 in a 0–2 away win over FC Volendam.

His breakthrough came when he returned to Ajax and won the KNVB Cup. Performances that season resulted in a call-up to the Belgium national football team. Ajax won the Johan Cruyff Shield and another KNVB Cup the following season and in 2007, they won the Johan Cruyff Shield for the second consecutive time.[7] He forged a partnership with fellow academy graduate John Heitinga and later Jan Vertonghen when Heitinga left for Atlético Madrid in Spain. Following the departure of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in mid-season, Vermaelen served as captain of Ajax for the remainder of the 2008–09 season, where he mostly played as a left-back.

Arsenal[]

2009–10 season[]

Vermaelen (left) with Arsenal in 2010.

Vermaelen joined Arsenal from Ajax for an initial fee of €10 million (rising to €12 million) on 19 June 2009, signing a four-year contract.[8][9] After Kolo Touré surrendered the number 5 jersey to him upon joining Manchester City,[10] Vermaelen, with William Gallas, formed Arsenal's central defence pairing. Vermaelen made his Premier League debut on 15 August 2009 in a 1–6 away win against Everton, and scored in the 37th minute.[11] He became the 84th Arsenal player to score in their debut.[12] He then scored a brace against Wigan Athletic in a 4–0 victory.[13]

Arsenal fans voted him as their Player of the Month twice in a row on Arsenal.com,[14][15] and affectionately nicknamed him the "Verminator".[5] However, he scored an own goal in a home match against Chelsea when a cross came in from Ashley Cole. The match finished 0–3 to Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.[16]

Vermaelen became notable for being a goal-scoring defender during the first half of Arsenal's 2009–10 season.[17][18] In recognition of his contributions, he was nominated for the Belgian Sportsman of the year award[19] and was also included in the PFA Team of the Season.[20] Vermaelen finished the season with 45 games and eight goals in all competitions under his belt.

Vermaelen and teammates after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores

2010–11 season[]

In the pre-season of the 2010–11 season, Vermaelen captained Arsenal in an Emirates Cup match against Milan with regular captain Cesc Fàbregas and vice-captains Manuel Almunia and Robin van Persie not in the squad.[21] Vermaelen started all of the first three Arsenal matches of the season before suffering an Achilles tendon injury on international duty with Belgium.[22]

He had a new injury setback when manager Arsène Wenger reported that the Achilles tendon problem would keep him out of action for an unforeseeable time.[23] On 17 March 2011, Wenger confirmed that Vermaelen would miss the remainder of the season with a new injury setback,[24] but on 26 April, Vermaelen played 90 minutes in his first competitive game after eight months in a reserves game against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 28 April. On 8 May, he was included in Arsenal's 18-man squad travelling to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. However, Vermaelen was an unused substitute, but on 15 May, he finally returned in Arsenal's 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa and played the full 90 minutes.

2011–12 season[]

Following Cesc Fàbregas' transfer to Barcelona in August 2011, Vermaelen was named vice-captain of Arsenal, with Robin van Persie named captain.[25] On 6 September 2011, Vermaelen had treatment on his Achilles tendon which ruled him out for six weeks. On 18 October 2011, he signed a contract extension to keep him at the club for an additional four years. He made his long-awaited return against Bolton Wanderers in the fourth round of the League Cup, where he captained the side to a 2–1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. He suffered a suspected calf injury in the 84th minute, but to Arsenal's relief, he stated in the post-match interview it was just a cramp. On 1 November, Vermaelen started his first UEFA Champions League game in three months against Marseille and played a key role in helping keep a clean sheet for the Gunners in which the game ended 0–0.

Vermaelen scored Arsenal's second goal in their 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion on 5 November. He also featured in the 1–1 draw with Fulham on 26 November, when he scored a 65th minute own-goal but salvaged a point with an 82nd-minute equaliser for Arsenal. On 3 December, Vermaelen scored the second goal against Wigan to win the match 4–0.[26] On 12 March 2012, Vermaelen scored the winner in the 95th minute against Newcastle United. He had run the entire length of the pitch to score a half-volley from Theo Walcott's cross. In the following game, he converted a Robin van Persie corner, heading home Arsenal's only goal in a 0–1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park. On 16 April 2012, he headed home a Tomáš Rosický cross against Wigan to reduce the deficit to 1–2, with Wigan having taken a two-goal lead at the Emirates. However, the scoreline finished the same. Manager Arsène Wenger has called him a defensive rock and his partnership with Laurent Koscielny is strong, enabling Arsenal to build from the back.

2012–13 season[]

In August 2012, Vermaelen was announced as Arsenal's new captain, replacing Robin van Persie upon his departure to Manchester United.[27]

On 11 December 2012, Vermaelen missed the deciding penalty kick in Arsenal's shoot-out defeat against League Two side Bradford City in the League Cup, his shot striking the post. Vermaelen had scored Arsenal's equalising goal within normal time of the same match.[28] However, consistently poor performances followed for Vermaelen, most notably against Manchester City and Liverpool.

Vermaelen's performances forced Arsène Wenger to drop him for the pivotal Champions League game against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Arsenal won 0–2, although it was not enough to progress to the next round through aggregate, but they were the first team to prevent Bayern from scoring that season, thanks to an assured performance from the defence and reserve goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański.[29] Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny continued to partner each other at centre-back for the following games, until the former's red card against West Brom at The Hawthorns on 6 April 2013 gave Vermaelen a chance to reestablish himself in the team. Arsenal held on for a 1–2 win. Due to Mertesacker's suspension, Vermaelen partnered Koscielny for the game against Norwich City on 13 April, with Arsenal winning 3–1.

2013–14 season[]

On 17 May 2014, Vermaelen won his only trophy with Arsenal as an unused substitute in the team's 3–2 win over Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup Final.

Barcelona[]

Vermaelen with Barcelona in 2015

On 9 August 2014, Arsenal accepted a £15 million offer from Barcelona for Vermaelen.[30] The next day, he completed his move after signing a five-year contract.[31][32] Vermaelen was plagued with injuries since his transfer; he was thought to be ready for Barcelona's game against APOEL in the Champions League, but was taken out of the squad. He underwent surgery on 2 December 2014 for a recurring hamstring injury, and was expected back in four-to-six months.[33] After being an unused substitute in a 2–0 win over Real Sociedad two weeks earlier, Vermaelen started on his debut for Barcelona on 23 May 2015 in the final La Liga match of the season against Deportivo de La Coruña in which he played for 63 minutes before being substituted for Douglas in a 2–2 draw at the Camp Nou.

In the second game of his second season on 29 August 2015, Vermaelen scored his first goal for Barcelona, finishing from a cross to win a home match against Málaga. He was praised by manager Luis Enrique afterwards.[34] Vermaelen was an 81st-minute substitute for Javier Mascherano on 20 December as Barcelona won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final against River Plate in Japan.

Loan to Roma[]

On 8 August 2016, Roma loaned Vermaelen from Barcelona on a one-year deal with an option to purchase.[35] On 18 August 2016, Vermaelen made his debut for the Rome club in a UEFA Champions League qualification play-off against FC Porto and was sent off for two yellow card offences after only 41 minutes.[36]

During his time at the club, Vermaelen played only 607 minutes due to injury and returned to Barcelona at the end of the season.[37]

Return to Barcelona[]

On 26 November 2017, Vermaelen was selected to start in Barcelona's 1–1 draw with Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium, covering for the suspended Gerard Piqué. He retained his place in central defence for seven of the next eight fixtures, before picking up an injury, including Barça's 3–0 win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium against rivals Real Madrid.[38]

Vissel Kobe[]

On 27 July 2019, Vermaelen signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with J1 League side Vissel Kobe. At the club, he rejoined former Barcelona teammates Andrés Iniesta and Sergi Samper, and former Arsenal teammate Lukas Podolski.[39] On 1 January 2020, Vermaelen won his first trophy in Japan, starting in Vissel Kobe's 2–0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the final of the 2019 Emperor's Cup.[40]

On 8 February 2020, Vermaelen was one of nine consecutive players to miss their spot-kick in the penalty-shootout of the Japanese Super Cup; his teammate Hotaru Yamaguchi eventually won the match for the cup winners with a successful penalty.[41]

International career[]

A former youth international, Vermaelen had participated in the U-19 Championships and the 2007 U-21 European Championships. He made his senior debut for Belgium at age 20 against Luxembourg in March 2006. On 8 October 2009, he was named Belgium captain[42] prior to the games against Turkey and Estonia in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, but could not prevent the Belgians from finishing fourth in their group. He was recalled to squad for 14 November friendly against Hungary and scored his first goal for his country by tapping in an Eden Hazard cross.

On 13 May 2014, Vermaelen was named in Belgium's squad for the 2014 World Cup.[43] After spending Belgium's first match of the tournament, a 2–1 win against Algeria, on the substitutes' bench,[44] Vermaelen was chosen to start in the second match against Russia, replacing former Ajax teammate Jan Vertonghen at left-back.[45] However, after 31 minutes, Vermaelen was taken off with an injury and replaced by Vertonghen.[45]

Personal life[]

In 2012, Vermaelen began dating English glamour model and TV presenter Polly Parsons. The couple have two sons, Raff and Ace. The couple married in June 2017.[46]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 30 May 2021[47][48]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ajax 2003–04 Eredivisie 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 1 0
2005–06 Eredivisie 24 3 4 1 — 5[c] 0 0 0 33 4
2006–07 Eredivisie 23 0 5 0 — 7[d] 0 1[e] 0 36 0
2007–08 Eredivisie 18 0 0 0 — 3[f] 0 1[e] 0 21 0
2008–09 Eredivisie 31 4 2 0 — 8[g] 1 — 42 5
Total 97 7 11 1 — 23 1 2 0 133 9
Waalwijk (loan) 2004–05 Eredivisie 13 2 1 0 — 14 2
Arsenal 2009–10 Premier League 33 7 1 0 0 0 11[c] 1 — 45 8
2010–11 Premier League 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 5 0
2011–12 Premier League 29 6 2 0 2 0 7[c] 0 — 40 6
2012–13 Premier League 29 0 2 0 1 1 7[c] 0 — 39 1
2013–14 Premier League 14 0 3 0 2 0 2[c] 0 — 21 0
Total 110 13 8 0 5 1 27 1 — 150 15
Barcelona 2014–15 La Liga 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 1 0
2015–16 La Liga 10 1 5 0 — 3[c] 0 2[h] 0 20 1
2017–18 La Liga 14 0 5 0 — 1[c] 0 0 0 20 0
2018–19 La Liga 9 0 1 0 — 2[c] 0 0 0 12 0
Total 34 1 10 0 — 6 0 3 0 53 1
Roma (loan) 2016–17 Serie A 9 0 0 0 — 3[i] 0 — 12 0
Vissel Kobe 2019 J1 League 8 0 4 0 0 0 — — 12 0
2020 J1 League 14 0 0 0 0 0 7[j] 0 1[k] 0 22 0
2021 J1 League 9 1 0 0 0 0 — — 9 1
Total 31 1 4 0 0 0 7 0 1 0 43 1
Career total 294 24 35 1 5 1 66 2 5 0 405 28
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, Emperor's Cup
  2. ^ Includes Football League Cup, J.League Cup
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, five in UEFA Cup
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  6. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one in UEFA Cup
  7. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  8. ^ One appearance in Supercopa de España, one in FIFA Club World Cup
  9. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two in UEFA Europa League
  10. ^ Appearances in AFC Champions League
  11. ^ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup

International[]

As of match played 2 July 2021[49]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2006 6 0
2007 5 0
2008 5 0
2009 11 1
2010 4 0
2011 2 0
2012 7 0
2013 6 0
2014 3 0
2015 2 0
2016 8 0
2017 6 0
2018 6 0
2019 7 1
2020 0 0
2021 7 0
Total 85 2
As of match played 2 July 2021. Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Vermaelen goal.[50]
List of international goals scored by Thomas Vermaelen
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 14 November 2009 Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent, Belgium  Hungary 2–0
3–0
 Friendly
2 9 September 2019 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Scotland 2–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Honours[]

Vermaelen (left) with Jan Vertonghen at Ajax

Ajax[48]

Arsenal

Barcelona[51]

Vissel Kobe

Belgium

  • FIFA World Cup third place: 2018[53]

Individual

References[]

  1. ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Belgium" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Profile: Thomas Vermaelen". FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b White, Duncan (24 October 2009). "Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen earns himself 'Verminator' nickname". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen: Barcelona to sign Arsenal defender on Sunday". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  7. ^ "VZ: De transferobjecten van de Eredivisie". Voetbalzone.nl. Voetbalzone. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  8. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen joins Arsenal". Ajax.nl. Ajax. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  9. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen completes move to Arsenal". Arsenal.com. Arsenal. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  10. ^ Hytner, David (20 August 2009). "Thomas Vermaelen's seamless transition augurs well for Arsenal's defence". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  11. ^ Dawkes, Phil (15 August 2009). "Everton 1–6 Arsenal". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen is 84th debut goalscorer". Arsenal.com. Arsenal. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  13. ^ Dawkes, Phil (19 September 2009). "Arsenal 4–0 Wigan". BBC News.
  14. ^ "Vermaelen is EA SPORTS Player of the Month!". Arsenal.com. Arsenal. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  15. ^ "Vermaelen is EA SPORTS Player of the Month!". Arsenal.com. Arsenal. 14 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  16. ^ "Arsenal 0–3 Chelsea". BBC News. 29 November 2009.
  17. ^ Tongue, Steve (18 October 2009). "Thomas Vermaelen: Wenger pulls another rabbit out of the hat". The Independent. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  18. ^ Collings, Tim (12 November 2009). "Arsenal Special: Thomas Vermaelen Stakes Claim As Buy Of The Year". goal,com. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  19. ^ "65 nominés pour les 4 plus prestigieux prix du sport" (in French). lalibre.be. 9 November 2009.
  20. ^ "Rooney is PFA player of the year". BBC Sport. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  21. ^ Grant Wilson (31 July 2010). "Arsenal Defender Thomas Vermaelen Impressed With New Defensive Partner Laurent Koscielny". Goal.com. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  22. ^ Rippleffect Ltd. "Diaby and Vermaelen out for Braga clash". arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010.
  23. ^ Hytner, David (9 November 2010). "Arsenal manager frustrated as Thomas Vermaelen suffers injury setback" – via www.theguardian.com.
  24. ^ "Vermaelen out for the season". news. internet. 17 March 2011.
  25. ^ Arsenal F.C. (16 August 2011). "van Persie appointed as Arsenal captain". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  26. ^ "Vermaelen scores at both ends in draw". ESPN Soccernet. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  27. ^ "Vermaelen – I'm so proud to be captain". arsenal.com. 17 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  28. ^ "Bradford 1–1 Arsenal (3–2 pens)". BBC Sport. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  29. ^ "Bayern Munich 0–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  30. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen: Arsenal agree £15m fee with Barcelona". BBC Sport. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  31. ^ "Agreement for Thomas Vermaelen to join FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  32. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen: Barcelona seal move for Arsenal defender". BBC Sport. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  33. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen Injury: Updates on Barcelona Star's Hamstring and Return". Bleacher Report.
  34. ^ "Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen praised by Luis Enrique after winning goal". The Guardian. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  35. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen loaned to AS Roma". FC Barcelona. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  36. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen criticised by Roma boss Spalletti for red card on debut". ESPN. 18 August 2016.
  37. ^ "Vermaelen, más invisible en la Roma que en el Barça". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 June 2017.
  38. ^ "Thomas the talisman: Barça unbeaten with Vermaelen in starting XI". FC Barcelona. 27 December 2017.
  39. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen: Vissel Kobe sign ex-Barcelona and Arsenal defender". BBC Sport. 27 July 2019.
  40. ^ "Andrés Iniesta skippers Vissel Kobe to first trophy in David Villa's final match". AS. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  41. ^ Jump up to: a b "Andres Iniesta lifts Japan Super Cup after nine straight pen misses". ESPN. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  42. ^ "Vermaelen is de nieuwe kapitein van de Rode Duivels". De Morgen Voetbal (in Dutch). 8 October 2009.
  43. ^ "Adnan Januzaj included in Belgium's World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  44. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (17 June 2014). "Belgium 2–1 Algeria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  45. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brazil v Russia". BBC. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  46. ^ Parsons, Polly (12 June 2017). "Mr and Mrs Vermaelen @catherinemead https://www.instagram.com/p/BVPmqT5hGWN/". External link in |title= (help)
  47. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  48. ^ Jump up to: a b c Thomas Vermaelen at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  49. ^ Thomas Vermaelen at National-Football-Teams.com
  50. ^ "Thomas Vermaelen". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  51. ^ Thomas Vermaelen; Barcelona's official website
  52. ^ "Andrés Iniesta skippers Vissel Kobe to first trophy in David Villa's final match". AS. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  53. ^ "Belgium 2–0 England: Line-ups". FIFA. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  54. ^ "BBC Sport – Football – Rooney is PFA player of the year". bbc.co.uk.

External links[]

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