Thomas Vermaelen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Vermaelen

Vermaelen with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Vermaelen
Date of birth	(1985-11-14) 14 November 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Kapellen, Belgium
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back, Left-back
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)	13	(2)
2009–2014	Arsenal	110	(13)
2014–2019	Barcelona	34	(1)
2016–2017	→ Roma (loan)	9	(0)
2019–2021	Vissel Kobe	45	(1)
Total		308	(24)
International career
2002–2003	Belgium U18	5	(0)
2003–2004	Belgium U19	7	(0)
2004–2007	Belgium U21	12	(1)
2006–2021	Belgium	85	(2)
Managerial career
2022	Belgium (assistant)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Belgium FIFA World Cup Third 2018
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Vermaelen, born on November 14, 1985, is a former professional football player from Belgium. He played as a defender. Since he was left-footed, he usually played as a left-sided centre-back. He could also play as a left-back. Thomas was known for being good in the air, his leadership, and how fast he was with the ball. He also scored goals, which is unusual for a defender!

Vermaelen joined the Ajax youth academy in 2000. He won the 2003–04 Eredivisie title in his first season with the club. He then played on loan for RKC Waalwijk. After returning to Ajax, he helped them win the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield. In 2009, he became the club captain for Ajax.

Later in 2009, he moved to Arsenal. He was even named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for that season. In 2012, he became Arsenal's captain. In 2014, he joined Barcelona in La Liga. He played for Vissel Kobe in Japan from 2019 until he retired in 2021.

Thomas Vermaelen first played for the Belgium national team in 2006. He played in the 2008 Olympics, where Belgium finished fourth. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018. Belgium finished third in the 2018 World Cup. He also played in the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2021.

Club Football Journey

Vermaelen playing for Ajax from 2000 to 2009

Starting His Career

Thomas Vermaelen was born in Kapellen, Belgium. He began his youth football career in his home country. He played for Germinal Ekeren, which later became Germinal Beerschot.

Playing for Ajax

Vermaelen joined the youth academy of the Dutch club Ajax. He made his first professional appearance on February 15, 2004. This was in an away game against FC Volendam, which Ajax won 2–0.

He really started to shine when he returned to Ajax. He helped the team win the KNVB Cup. His good performances that season led to him being called up to the Belgium national football team. Ajax also won the Johan Cruyff Shield and another KNVB Cup the next season. In 2007, they won the Johan Cruyff Shield again.

He formed a strong defensive partnership with John Heitinga. Later, he played alongside Jan Vertonghen after Heitinga left. In the 2008–09 season, Vermaelen became the captain of Ajax. He mostly played as a left-back during this time.

Time at Arsenal

Joining Arsenal in 2009

Vermaelen (left) with Arsenal in 2010

Vermaelen moved to Arsenal from Ajax on June 19, 2009. Arsenal paid about €10 million for him. He signed a four-year contract. He took the number 5 jersey.

He played alongside William Gallas in the center of Arsenal's defense. Vermaelen played his first Premier League game on August 15, 2009. Arsenal won 6–1 against Everton, and he scored a goal in the 37th minute. He was the 84th Arsenal player to score on their debut. He also scored two goals against Wigan Athletic in a 4–0 win.

Arsenal fans liked him a lot and even nicknamed him "the Verminator." He was voted Player of the Month twice by fans. He was known for scoring goals, which is great for a defender. He was nominated for the Belgian Sportsman of the Year award. He was also chosen for the PFA Team of the Season. Vermaelen played 45 games and scored eight goals in his first season.

Injuries and Comebacks

Vermaelen and teammates after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores

In the 2010–11 season, Vermaelen captained Arsenal in an Emirates Cup match. However, he got an Achilles tendon injury while playing for Belgium. This injury kept him out of action for a long time. He missed most of the season. He finally returned to play in a game against Aston Villa on May 15, 2011.

For the 2011–12 season, Vermaelen was named vice-captain of Arsenal. He signed a new contract to stay with the club for four more years. He returned to play in the League Cup against Bolton Wanderers. He captained the team to a 2–1 victory.

Vermaelen scored Arsenal's second goal in a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion. He also scored an important goal against Fulham to get a draw. In December, he scored another goal against Wigan. On March 12, 2012, Vermaelen scored the winning goal in the 95th minute against Newcastle United. He ran the length of the pitch to score. He also scored against Everton and Wigan. His manager, Arsène Wenger, called him a "defensive rock."

Becoming Arsenal Captain

In August 2012, Thomas Vermaelen became Arsenal's new captain. He took over from Robin van Persie.

However, he had some tough games. He missed a penalty kick in a League Cup shootout against Bradford City. He had scored the equalizing goal in that match. His performances led to him being left out of some important games. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny became the main central defenders. Vermaelen got a chance to play again when Mertesacker was suspended.

On May 17, 2014, Vermaelen won his only trophy with Arsenal. He was an unused substitute when Arsenal won the 2014 FA Cup Final 3–2 against Hull City.

Moving to Barcelona

Vermaelen with Barcelona in 2015

On August 9, 2014, Arsenal accepted an offer from Barcelona for Vermaelen. He signed a five-year contract the next day. However, he faced many injuries after joining Barcelona. He had surgery on December 2, 2014, for a hamstring injury. He finally made his debut for Barcelona on May 23, 2015. This was in the last La Liga match of the season.

In his second season, on August 29, 2015, Vermaelen scored his first goal for Barcelona. He scored from a cross to win a home match against Málaga. His manager, Luis Enrique, praised him. On December 20, he came on as a substitute in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final. Barcelona won against River Plate in Japan.

Loan to Roma

On August 8, 2016, Vermaelen was loaned to Roma for one year. He played his first game for Roma on August 18, 2016. It was a UEFA Champions League qualification game against FC Porto. He was sent off with two yellow cards after only 41 minutes.

During his time at Roma, Vermaelen played very few minutes because of injuries. He returned to Barcelona at the end of the season.

Back at Barcelona

On November 26, 2017, Vermaelen started for Barcelona in a 1–1 draw with Valencia. He filled in for the suspended Gerard Piqué. He kept his place in the defense for several games. This included Barcelona's 3–0 win against rivals Real Madrid.

Playing in Japan with Vissel Kobe

On July 27, 2019, Vermaelen signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with J1 League team Vissel Kobe in Japan. There, he reunited with former Barcelona teammates Andrés Iniesta and Sergi Samper. He also played with former Arsenal teammate Lukas Podolski. On January 1, 2020, Vermaelen won his first trophy in Japan. He started in Vissel Kobe's 2–0 win over Kashima Antlers in the 2019 Emperor's Cup final.

On February 8, 2020, Vermaelen was one of many players to miss a penalty in the 2020 Japanese Super Cup shootout. His teammate Hotaru Yamaguchi eventually won the match for Vissel Kobe. On May 15, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Cerezo Osaka.

On January 21, 2022, the Royal Belgian Football Association announced that Vermaelen had retired as a player. He then joined the Belgium national team as an assistant coach.

International Career for Belgium

Vermaelen played for Belgium's youth teams. He was part of the U-19 Championships in 2004 and the U-21 European Championships in 2007. He made his first appearance for the senior Belgium team when he was 20. This was in March 2006 against Luxembourg.

On October 8, 2009, he was named Belgium captain. This was before games against Turkey and Estonia. He scored his first goal for Belgium on November 14, 2009, against Hungary.

On May 13, 2014, Vermaelen was chosen for Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in the second match against Russia. However, he had to leave the game after 31 minutes due to an injury.

He was also part of the squads for UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2021.

Personal Life

In 2012, Vermaelen started dating English model and TV presenter Polly Parsons. They have two sons named Raff and Ace. The couple got married in June 2017.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Vermaelen goal

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 qualifying

Trophies and Awards

Vermaelen (left) with Jan Vertonghen at Ajax

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2003–04
• KNVB Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2006, 2007

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2013–14

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Copa del Rey: 2015–16, 2017–18
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2015

Vissel Kobe

• Emperor's Cup: 2019
• Japanese Super Cup: 2020

Belgium

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2018

Individual Awards

• AFC Ajax Talent of the Year: 2006
• AFC Ajax Club of 100: 2009
• Best Belgian Player Abroad: 2009
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2009–10

See also

In Spanish: Thomas Vermaelen para niños