Thomas Meunier ( have a bun in the oven 12 September 1991 ) is a belgian professional football player who plays as a right-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Belgium national team .
Club career [edit ]
Virton [edit ]
Born in Sainte-Ode, Belgium, Meunier began playing for respective young person teams, starting with RUS Saint-Ode, RUS Givry and Standard Liège. He spent two seasons with Liège before being released due to injuries. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Meunier revealed that his free affected him and at one point he considered quitting football before being persuaded by his mother to continue. During a trial at Virton, [ 5 ] Meunier impressed the club ‘s management and was subsequently signed by the baseball club. [ 5 ] [ 6 ]
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Meunier started to play professionally for Virton ‘s first gear team in the first gear half of 2009, making his debut for the club in a 1–1 describe against K.F.C. V.W. Hamme on 31 January 2009. [ 7 ] He went on to make five appearances, as Virton were relegated from the Second Division. After becoming a beginning team regular in the 2009–10 temper, making 16 appearances and scoring 5 times in all competitions, the 2010–11 season proved to be his breakthrough. [ 8 ] His beginning goal of the 2010–11 season came on 22 August 2010 when he scored in a 3–0 gain over C.S. Visé. [ 9 ] He then scored twice on 2 October 2010, in a 4–0 win over RFC Liège, followed up by scoring another brace seven days later on 9 October 2010, in a 2–1 succeed over Sporting Hasselt. [ 10 ] He then scored two goals in two matches between 30 January 2011 and 6 February 2011 against R. Charleroi Couillet Fleurus and KSKL Ternat. [ 11 ] Throughout the 2010–11 season, Meunier cursorily made an impression for the side, as he made 29 appearances and scoring 11 times in all competitions. [ 12 ] From 2009 to 2011, Meunier made 52 appearances and scored 15 goals in all competitions for Virton ‘s first team .
Club Brugge [edit ]
Meunier was signed by Club Brugge in January 2011 for a transfer fee of 200,000 euros, with the actual remove to be completed during the 2011 summer transplant window. [ 13 ] A few days early, Club Brugge had precisely missed out on the transfers of Dalibor Veselinović and Jelle Van Damme and consequently wanted to make surely Meunier would not become the one-third near miss. Club Brugge managed to complete the deal before any of the several other interested belgian clubs ( Anderlecht, Standard Liège, Sint-Truiden and Zulte Waregem ) could. [ 14 ] ahead of the new season, Meunier was given the numeral 19 shirt. [ 15 ] On 31 July 2011, Club Brugge played its beginning match of the 2011–12 season against Westerlo in which Meunier was allowed to play the final 20 minutes. Meunier played a decent match, getting on the score plane in the process. [ 16 ] It wasn ’ thymine until on 21 September 2011 when he scored again, in a 3–2 win over Dessel Sport. [ 17 ] He then scored three goals in five appearances in all competitions between 16 October 2011 and 3 November 2011 against Gent, Genk and Birmingham City. [ 18 ] Since making his introduction for Club Brugge, Meunier established himself in the first team, playing in the midfield position. [ 19 ] As a leave, he signed a contract extension, to keep him at the clubhouse until 2016. [ 20 ] Despite injuries, Meunier finished his foremost season at Club Brugge, making 49 appearances and scoring 5 times in all competitions. [ 21 ] At the end of the 2011–12 season, Meunier ’ s goal against Genk earned him third gear invest for Goal of the Season. [ 22 ]
Meunier in 2012 At the start of the 2012–13 season, Meunier started the season well when he scored in the first four league matches against Waasland-Beveren, Charleroi, KV Mechelen and Beerschot. [ 23 ] After the match, Meunier talked about scoring regularly, saying “ last season I scored three times. My ambition was to do good. But this is very close. ” [ 24 ] He started out play in the right–wing position. [ 25 ] however, Meunier suffered injuries on two occasions that kept him out until November. [ 26 ] He did n’t return until 17 November 2012, coming on as a second–half substitute, in a 6–2 acquire over Waasland-Beveren. [ 27 ] After returning, Meunier began playing in the right–back placement, which he said was no problem. [ 28 ] Around late–January, he suffered an injury once again and was sidelined until March. [ 29 ] After returning to the first from injury, Meunier regained his foremost team seat, where he played in the right–back placement for the rest of the season. [ 30 ] At the end of the 2012–13 season, Meunier went on to make 28 appearances and scoring 4 times in all competitions. At the originate of the 2013–14 temper, Meunier was sidelined until September, after an mathematical process on a breakwater injury. [ 31 ] Since returning from wound, Meunier promptly returned to the foremost team, regaining his right–back military position and helped the slope keep a clean sheet four times between 14 September 2013 and 5 October 2013. [ 32 ] His operation attracted attention from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg but stayed at the club throughout the January transplant window. [ 33 ] It wasn ’ triiodothyronine until on 18 February 2014 when he scored his inaugural finish for the golf club, in a 5–2 win over OH Leuven. [ 34 ] He then scored doubly on 16 March 2014, in a 2–0 win over Cercle Brugge. [ 35 ] In a 1–0 loss against Anderlecht on 4 May 2014, Meunier scored an own goal, which saw them lose and costing the clubhouse their title chances. [ 36 ] Despite being sidelined late in the 2013–14 season, Meunier made 33 appearances and scored three times in all competitions. [ 37 ] He besides received a Blue Shoe two months late. [ 38 ] In the 2014–15 season, Meunier started the season well when he set up one of the goals, in a 2–0 winnings over Waasland-Beveren. [ 39 ] From the begin of the season, Meunier appeared in every match in the right–back status until he suffered an injury in early–December. [ 40 ] On 22 November 2014, Meunier scored his first gear goal of the season, in a 4–2 succeed over Waasland-Beveren. [ 41 ] After returning from injury, he scored again on 14 December 2014, in a 3–1 win over Standard Liège. [ 42 ] In January 2015, Meunier signed a new narrow with the golf club, keeping him until 2019. [ 43 ] curtly after, on 20 January 2015, he produced a hat–trick of assists, in a 3–2 gain over KV Mechelen to send them through to the semifinal concluding of Beker van België. [ 44 ] Meunier suffered two injuries towards the end of the temper. [ 45 ] however, he played every moment of the 2015 belgian Cup Final against rivals RSC Anderlecht, which ended in a 2–1 winnings for Club Brugge which enabled the club to win its first gear belgian Cup since 2007. [ 46 ] At the end of the 2014–15 season, Meunier made 46 appearances and scored two times in all competitions. For his performance, Meunier was awarded Footballer of the Year. [ 47 ] ahead of the 2015–16 season, Meunier was linked with a motivate away from Club Brugge and was expected to leave the baseball club in the summer. [ 48 ] however, he suffered a knee injury whilst on international duty and was out for two months. [ 49 ] It wasn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate until on 30 August 2015 when he returned to the first team from injury, coming on as a belated substitute, in a 7–1 win over Standard Liège. [ 50 ] He then scored his beginning goal of the season on 23 September 2015, ampere well as, setting up a goal, in a 4–0 acquire over Patro Eisden. [ 51 ] A week late, on 1 October 2015, Meunier scored again in a UEFA Europa League match, in a 3–1 loss against Midtjylland. [ 52 ] then, on 5 November 2015, he scored in the UEFA Europa League campaign once again, in a 1–0 winnings over Legia Warsaw. [ 53 ] He captained Club Brugge for the first prison term when he led a 4–1 win over KV Mechelen on 30 November 2015. [ 54 ] He then set up two goals in a 6–0 gain over Westerlo, followed up by scoring again, in a 3–2 loss against Genk. [ 55 ] He went on to score two more goals against Genk and Gent towards the end of the season and helped the baseball club win the league. [ 56 ] Despite being sidelined on two occasions later in the 2015–16 season, Meunier went on to make 42 appearances and scored six times. [ 57 ] Over the 2016 summer transfer window, Meunier was a transfer target for respective clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain leading the pursuit to sign him. [ 58 ] But in early on June, he made it clear that he was going to stay at the club. [ 59 ] Despite his claim that he intended to stay at Club Brugge, he continued to be a transportation prey. [ 60 ] When Meunier joined Club Brugge in 2011, he initially played as a striker or right winger before he was transformed into a right back by head coaches Juan Carlos Garrido, Georges Leekens and Michel Preud’homme due to the miss of players playing in that position because of injuries sustained by his teammates Davy De Fauw and Tom Høgli, and the passing of Carl Hoefkens. [ 28 ] [ 61 ]
Paris Saint-Germain [edit ]
On 3 July 2016, Paris Saint-Germain announced that Meunier had barely joined PSG on a four-year deal that would tie him to the club until 30 June 2020. [ 62 ] The transfer tip was reported to be 7 million euro. [ 63 ] Prior to the be active, Meunier admitted to having doubts about moving to PSG, citing a possible lack of playing time there. [ 64 ] In the 2016 International Champions Cup friendly match against Real Madrid in Ohio, Meunier scored twice to help PSG to a 3–1 winnings. [ 65 ]
2016–17 season [edit ]
On 6 August 2016, Meunier made his beginning competitive appearance for PSG by coming on as a substitute for David Luiz in the 76th moment of the 2016 Trophée des Champions. [ 66 ] After being an unused substitute for PSG ‘s first two league matches of the 2016–17 temper, he made his league debut for the club and played 28 minutes in a 3–1 loss against AS Monaco on 28 August 2016. [ 67 ] Meunier found himself competing with Serge Aurier throughout the temper and due to good performances by Aurier, Meunier frequently appeared on the utility ‘s bench. [ 68 ] After suffering a knee injury in belated September, Meunier returned to the beginning team, starting in the right back place and scoring a finish, in a 2–0 league home win over Bordeaux on 1 October 2016. [ 69 ] On 1 November 2016, Meunier assisted Blaise Matuidi ‘s opening goal and scored the winning goal with a stunning 90th-minute side-footed curl volley in PSG ‘s 2–1 aside win over Basel in a 2016–17 UEFA Champions League Group A meet ; it was Meunier ‘s first competitive goal for PSG. [ 70 ] As a result of his adept performance, he was named a penis of the UEFA Team of the Week. [ 71 ] On 21 December 2016, Meunier scored his beginning league goal for the club, in a 5–0 acquire over Lorient. [ 72 ] however, the future two months saw him sidelined with injuries on two occasions. [ 73 ] Despite this, Meunier received more play fourth dimension throughout January 2017 as a right–back because Aurier had to play for his national team in the finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. [ 74 ] The following month, he played the unharmed 90 minutes and set up a goal for Edinson Cavani, in a 4–0 win over Barcelona in the last 16 first branch of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League. “ We played the perfect equal. Everyone was actually looking forward to it, I have not seen that this season, ” he said correctly after that match. [ 75 ] however, Meunier conceded a penalty and PSG lost 6–1 to Barcelona in the second base branch ; PSG were frankincense eliminated from the competition 6–5 on sum. “ This is unacceptable. We had to start the game in a calm way. That is what PSG lacks a bit. Finding an explanation is difficult, ” Meunier said. [ 76 ] Towards the end of the 2016–17 season, Meunier continued to compete for a first team place with Aurier. [ 77 ] He suffered further injuries. [ 78 ] Although he featured in both the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France campaigns, Meunier did not play in both of the finals ; he was on the stand-in bench for the former and missed the latter because of an injury sustained. [ 79 ] During the 2016–17 season, he made 36 appearances and scored twice in all competitions .
2017–18 season [edit ]
During the summer transfer window of 2017, Meunier was the subjugate of a remove request when Premier League side Chelsea tried to sign him on the transportation window deadline day but had their wish rejected by PSG. [ 80 ] At the start of the 2017–18 season, Meunier played his first competitive match of the season by starting as the right–back, in the 2–1 win over AS Monaco in the 2017 Trophée des Champions. [ 81 ] After Aurier ’ s departure to Tottenham Hostpur, he placid had to compete for the right–back place due to the arrival of Dani Alves. [ 82 ] Having been an unused substitute for PSG ‘s previous two league matches ( against Guingamp and Toulouse ), Meunier last made his first league appearance of the temper, replacing Dani Alves and then setting up a goal for Edinson Cavani, in a 3–0 home win over Saint-Étienne on 25 August 2017. [ 83 ] It was not until 30 September 2017 when he scored his first goal of the season for the baseball club, in a 6–2 league home winnings over Bordeaux. [ 84 ] On 14 October 2017, Meunier scored both of PSG ‘s goals in another league match, in a 2–1 succeed at Dijon. [ 85 ] Between late–October and mid–December, he played twice in the league despite picking up an injury while playing for the national side. [ 86 ]
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On 13 December 2017, Meunier started in the right–back stead and assisted two goals, in a 4–2 acquire over RC Strasbourg. [ 87 ] A calendar month late, on 30 January 2018, Meunier scored again in the semi-finals of Coupe de la Ligue, in a 3–2 win over Stade Rennais. [ 88 ] He then scored his one-fourth goal of the season, in a 5–0 win over FC Metz on 10 March 2018. [ 89 ] Towards the end of the 2017–18 season, he regained his right–back position in number of matches when Alves was lacking from the first team, ascribable to injury and suspension. [ 90 ] On 8 May 2018, he came off the judiciary as PSG won 2–0 against Les Herbiers VF to clinch the Coupe de France. [ 91 ] Meunier besides won his foremost league title at PSG after beating Monaco on 15 April 2018. [ 92 ] At the end of the 2017–18 season, he went on to make 34 appearances and scoring 5 times in all competitions .
2018–19, 2019–20 seasons [edit ]
On 18 September 2018, Meunier scored a goal in a 2–3 loss to Liverpool in 2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage. [ 93 ] On 6 March 2019, he came on as a substitute in a 1–3 passing to Manchester United, in which Paris Saint-Germain were eliminated from the Champions League attack of 16 on away goals. [ 94 ] In the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage, he scored a goal in a 3–0 succeed over real Madrid on 18 September 2019. [ 95 ] On 4 March 2020, he played his last match with Paris Saint-Germain in a 5–1 acquire over Lyon in the 2019–20 Coupe de France semi-final. [ 96 ]
Borussia Dortmund [edit ]
On 25 June 2020, it was announced that Meunier would be joining Borussia Dortmund from PSG on a four-year cover as a free agent. [ 97 ]
International career [edit ]
Youth career [edit ]
After appearing for the Belgium U15 team, Meunier was called up for the Belgium U21 team for the first base time in February 2011, but did not play. [ 98 ] Meunier was called up for the second time in August 2011 [ 99 ] and finally made his Belgium U21 introduction on 9 August 2011, in a 3–2 friendly passing against Turkey U21. [ 100 ] On 6 September 2011, he then scored his inaugural U21 goal, in the 2013 UEFA european Under-21 Football Championship qualification 4–1 home plate win over Azerbaijan U21. [ 101 ] He made seven appearances ( five of those were in 2013 UEFA european Under-21 Football Championship qualification matches ) and scored once for the Belgium U21 team .
aged career [edit ]
After being called up to the aged slope for the first time on 14 November 2013, Meunier made his introduction for the belgian national team in a family friendly match against Colombia, which was preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. [ 102 ] He besides appeared as a stand-in in two far friendlies, against Japan ( 2–3 loss ) and Iceland ( 3–1 winnings ), but was not included in passenger car Marc Wilmots ‘ final 23-man squad for the tournament. [ 103 ] After missing out in the World Cup, Meunier was called up in November 2014 and made his first appearance in about a year, in a 3–1 win over Iceland on 12 November 2014. [ 104 ] After being called up to the police squad for the Euro 2016, Meunier played the whole 90 minutes at right back in the UEFA Euro 2016 group stage and then set up a goal for Axel Witsel, in a 3–0 succeed over Republic of Ireland. [ 105 ] He besides aided his team in keeping another clean sail in 90 minutes at right back in another victory over Sweden four days late. [ 106 ] He besides started in Belgium ‘s 4–0 round of 16 win against Hungary. [ 107 ] Meunier finished the UEFA Euro 2016 campaign with five appearances for the side. On 13 November 2016, Meunier scored in the 8th minute in Belgium ‘s 8–1 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification win over Estonia at the King Baudouin Stadium to register his foremost always senior external finish. [ 108 ] On 31 August 2017, Meunier recorded his first career elder external hat-trick in Belgium ‘s 9–0 frustration of Gibraltar, a match in which he besides recorded four assists. [ 109 ] On 7 October 2017, he scored the hatchway goal of Belgium ‘s 4–3 defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina to end the 2018 World Cup qualifying political campaign with five goals and seven assists from eight matches. [ 110 ] Meunier was selected in Belgium ‘s concluding 23-man police squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. [ 111 ] He was Belgium ‘s first-choice proper midfielder and played his first World Cup equal, in a 3–0 win over Panama in their open group game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. [ 112 ] In a adjacent match against Tunisia on 23 June 2018, Meunier set up Romelu Lukaku ‘s second finish of the plot, in a 5–2 acquire to qualify for the Round of 16. [ 113 ] He besides set up Nacer Chadli to score in injury time in a 3–2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. [ 114 ] however, after a 2–1 winnings over Brazil on 6 July 2018, he received another reserve, which caused him to miss the semi–finals. [ 115 ] On 14 July 2018, Meunier returned from suspension, scoring the opening finish of the meet for Belgium in a 2–0 victory against England in their third-place play-off, his state ‘s best-ever World Cup ending. [ 116 ] On 12 June 2021, Meunier came on as a utility for the hurt Timothy Castagne after just 27 minutes and scored Belgium ‘s second gear goal in the 34th moment during a 3–0 succeed in their first Euro 2020 group stage match against Russia. In doing sol, Meunier became the first ever musician to score a first half goal after coming on as a ersatz in the UEFA European Championship. [ 117 ]
personal life [edit ]
Growing up, Meunier idolised Brazil World Cup achiever Ronaldo, saying : “ He evolves, like me, at the center forth military position. I liked his stylus of bet and his dribble ”. [ 4 ] He was quoted in an consultation saying that he supported Anderlecht growing up, but this turned out to be incorrect. [ 118 ] He revealed that he didn ’ t have an easy childhood : his parents divorced when he was a adolescent and started a new life sentence with his mother and sister. [ 5 ] While at Virton, Meunier worked part time at a car factory and as a mailman, receiving a diploma for finishing school. [ 5 ] Outside of football, he ’ south besides a fan of art. [ 119 ] He opened a cater commercial enterprise in his hometown of Bastogne and has thought about becoming a baker once his football career is over. [ 120 ] In addition to speaking french, Meunier speaks English and Dutch. In November 2012, Meunier was fined €120 and given a 13-day drive ban after being convicted of speeding. [ 121 ] After his conviction, Meunier began taking driving lessons again. [ 122 ] Meunier is in a relationship with Deborah Panzokou, having known her since eminent school. [ 123 ] In May 2015, it was announced that the couple were expecting their first child. Deborah gave give birth to a child son, Landrys, ( born in December 2015 ). [ 124 ] In October 2017, it was announced that the couple were expecting their second base child, who was born in April 2018. [ 125 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
- As of match played 6 November 2021
International [edit ]
- As of match played 16 November 2021[138]
Belgium
Year
Apps
Goals
2013
2
0
2014
1
0
2015
2
0
2016
10
1
2017
6
4
2018
15
1
2019
4
1
2020
4
0
2021
10
1
Total
54
8
- As of match played 16 November 2021.[139] Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Meunier goal.
Honours [edit ]
Club Brugge
Paris Saint Germain
Borussia Dortmund
Belgium
Orders
- Godefroid of Honour: 2016[147]
References [edit ]
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