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Thomas Vermaelen signs new long-term contract


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Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that Thomas Vermaelen has signed a new long-term contract with the Club.

The Belgium international has been a star performer in Arsenal’s defence during his 54 appearances for the Club and has now put pen to paper on a new contract.

Vermaelen, 25, made more appearances than any other Gunners player during his debut season, being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season for 2009/10. During that campaign, his defensive performances were just part of the story. He also weighed in with eight goals, including thunderous long-range efforts against Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.

Captain of the Belgium national side Vermaelen has made 32 appearances for his country including the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Vermaelen previously skippered Dutch giants Ajax, where he spent nine years, having joined as a teenager from Belgian club Germinal Beerschot.

Arsène Wenger said: “We are absolutely delighted that Thomas has signed a new long-term contract. Our plan is always to sign top quality players and with Thomas extending his contract, we have done just that. Thomas is a special player, who has always made a huge contribution on the pitch and we are looking forward to him being a part of our future at Arsenal Football Club.”

Vermaelen, who is now closing in on a return to full fitness said: “I am really happy to have signed a new contract with Arsenal. I always had the intention to stay here. I feel there is a big belief in me from the Club, from the boss and from the fans and that is one of the reasons why I stayed. Arsenal is a fantastic Club. We have great supporters, we’re doing well financially and we are playing with some quality young players now and they will develop, which is very good for the future.”

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is looking forward to Thomas’ continued contribution in the forthcoming years.

Wow Gazidas done something for once.

That said injuries >>>>>>>>>

Defo get the contracts signed.

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Thomas Vermaelen signed a new deal at Arsenal because he believes the Club has a bright future.

The vice-captain has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top defenders since arriving in north London in 2009 and has committed himself to the Arsenal cause by putting pen to paper on a contract extension.

Vermaelen cited the belief shown in him by Arsène Wenger and the supporters as a major factor in his decision. And the Belgian wants to repay that faith when he returns to action in the near future.

"I feel there is a big belief from the Club, from the boss and from the fans and that is one of the reasons why I stayed," he told Arsenal Player.

"I feel great here, it's a fantastic Club and that is why I want to stay here. I played my first year here, had a big injury last year and then got injured again. I want to show something back to the Club and to the fans and that is why I want to stay longer.

"Of course you cannot look into the future but I have a big belief that this Club will continue doing well. We had a bad start in the league but I think if we fight hard we will get through this. In the following years Arsenal will stay a big Club.

"You can feel that [there is a strong base here]. You hear from the board that the Club is doing well financially. We are playing with young players now and they can develop - that is good for the future I think."

Thomas Vermaelen believes he still has to prove himself after spending the majority of last season on the sidelines.

The Belgian centre back had a stellar first season at Emirates Stadium, bolstering Arsenal's defence and contributing plenty of goals. But his second year was dominated by a long-term injury.

Vermaelen has not played since August 24 but is due back in full training soon. When he does return he wants to prove that he can take his game to a new level.

"Of course you always have to prove yourself," he told Arsenal Player.

"If you're playing well you're a good player and if you're playing bad then you're a bad player, that's the way football goes. I think I came back last season after the injury and I felt great. I always want to prove myself and show that to everybody.

"I think every professional player has that inside of them that they want to show themselves to the crowd and everybody - that's what I have too.

"I feel great at the moment. I am doing a lot of stuff on the pitch now with [fitness coach] Tony [Colbert]. It's been going really well and I think I can go into full training very soon - that will be good for me."

Staying confident is the key to Arsenal's recovery this season, according to Thomas Vermaelen.

The vice-captain has watched the majority of the campaign from the sidelines but is expected to return from injury soon. He was at Emirates Stadium for Sunday's 2-1 win over Sunderland and was as impressed as anyone by Robin van Persie's match-winning contribution.

But Vermaelen also saw self-doubt creep into Arsenal's game after they were pegged back by Sebastian Larsson's first-half equaliser. The centre back knows that confidence is a vital commodity in football and he believes that dealing with setbacks is a major factor in any team's success.

"I believe in this Club and I think we will grow during the season - I have great confidence," Vermaelen told Arsenal Player.

"Of course if you get a good result [like on Sunday] it is always good for your confidence. But you also learn from that and I do not think it is acceptable for your confidence to go down if you concede a goal. If you are a professional footballer you have to stay confident and believe in yourself all the time, it doesn't matter what happens.

"Especially when you have a bad start like we have, you should be confident all the time. Then you will be fine. I think we just have to take it game by game, just work as hard as you can and get as many points as possible."

Van Persie caught Vermaelen's eye at the weekend but the Belgian was also impressed by Arsenal's centre-back pairing.

"I know the qualities of Koscielny now because I have known him for over a year now," he said. "Per I don't know too well but I have watched him in a few games and I think he is a really mature player. He has good positional sense and has a lot of experience so I think he is a good signing for us.

"As for Robin, you can see he is fit and that is what he says himself. I think it is really important for a player to feel good. There is no doubt he has a lot of qualities as player and if he is fit he can show that on the pitch.

"He is a great captain too, I think he is a natural leader. He talks a lot - to the younger players as well - and on the pitch you can see he wants to fight for every ball. On and off the pitch he is a great leader."

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Thomas Vermaelen can be the bedrock of Arsenal's defence for many years, according to Arsène Wenger.

The Belgian centre back signed a new contract with the Club on Tuesday to give his manager a timely boost ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Marseille.

Vermaelen arrived in north London in 2009 and enjoyed a stellar debut season before injuries restricted his appearances. The Belgian is close to returning to full training and Wenger welcomed his decision to commit his future to Arsenal.

"It is a privilege to play for Arsenal Football Club and many players understand that," said the manager.

"On our side we are happy to extend his contract because he has shown he has the quality to play for us. He is a leader as well and he is a left-footed player, you do not find many of them. It is important to find a player in his position who has a good first pass with his left foot.

"He is versatile too, you could imagine him playing in midfield or left back in an emergency."

Wenger will pick his centre-back pairing for the Marseille game from Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Johan Djourou. The manager thinks that trio - along with Vermaelen - could play at the top level for a decade.

"Thomas is a young boy as well, people forget," said Wenger. "If you take Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Vermaelen, they are all 25 or 26 years old so as centre backs they have ten years in front of them.

"I believe Mertesacker had to adjust to the pace and commitment of the English game but I feel that in every game he gets stronger. Let's not forget that we missed Koscielny as well. I personally feel that the defensive frailties we had recently were more down to other departments in the team than the defenders.

"If you look at the strength in depth we have, we have a very positive future. Our centre backs are young and you look at the players who are coming through like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, everybody of course knows Ramsey, Coquelin, Frimpong. We have fantastic young players so that is good for the Club."

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It's a sign of the times were living in.

Money run tings.

Arsenal ain't got an empty cheque book to sign players and give X amount of wages to all our players

We're a old school club with old school values, I for one am happy to welcome any player ready to commit to our club

And a big thanks but fuck off to those who don't...

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on Vermaelen's return…

He did very well. He had to come off for a calf problem but I hope it's not too bad. He will be a bit short for Saturday, I don't know yet what I will do. We have to test him tomorrow, but it doesn't look too bad.

He has been out for a long time, he had only one training session yesterday with the team. I didn't really expect a game of that intensity, it was a tough one for a centre-back. They put us under pressure in the second half and the intensity of the game was very high.

We don't think it is a calf strain, it is just tight calves. He has not played a proper game for two months. He wanted to come off. In fairness I did not want to take him off because I thought it was too stupid now with four minutes to go to concede a goal. He was adamant he couldn't go on so I hope it's not too bad.

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T_Vermaelen05 Thomas Vermaelen

Btw, i had a small cramp at the end. Nothing serious. Just went out as a precaution.

6 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

T_Vermaelen05 Thomas Vermaelen

It was great to be back in the pitch again. Great victory! Thanks for all the support. The fans were amazing today!!

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  • 3 months later...

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