Thomas Meunier

Thomas André A. Meunier (born 12 September 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor and the Belgium national team.

Born in Sainte-Ode, Belgium, Meunier began playing for various youth teams, starting with RUS Saint-Ode, RUS Givry and Standard Liège.

He spent two seasons with Liège before being released due to injuries.

Meunier revealed that his release affected him and at one point he considered quitting football before being persuaded by his mother to continue.

During a trial at Virton, Meunier impressed the club's management and was subsequently signed by the club.

Meunier started to play professionally for Virton's first team in the first half of 2009, making his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against K.F.C. V.W. Hamme on 31 January 2009.

He went on to make five appearances, as Virton were relegated from the Second Division.

After becoming a first team regular in the 2009–10 season, making 16 appearances and scoring 5 times in all competitions, the 2010–11 season proved to be his breakthrough.

From 2009 to 2011, Meunier made 52 appearances and scored 15 goals in all competitions for Virton's first team.

His first goal of the 2010–11 season came on 22 August 2010 when he scored in a 3–0 win over C.S. Visé.

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 win over Sporting Hasselt.

Throughout the 2010–11 season, Meunier quickly made an impression for the side, as he made 29 appearances and scoring 11 times in all competitions.

He then scored two goals in two matches between 30 January 2011 and 6 February 2011 against R. Charleroi Couillet Fleurus and KSKL Ternat.

Meunier was signed by Club Brugge in January 2011 for a transfer fee of 200,000 euros, with the actual transfer to be completed during the 2011 summer transfer window.

A few days earlier, Club Brugge had just missed out on the transfers of Dalibor Veselinović and Jelle Van Damme and therefore wanted to make sure Meunier would not become the 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.

Ahead of the new season, Meunier was given the number 19 shirt.

On 31 July 2011, Club Brugge played its first 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 sheet in the process.

It wasn't until on 21 September 2011 when he scored again, in a 3–2 win over Dessel Sport.

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.

Since making his debut for Club Brugge, Meunier established himself in the first team, playing in the midfield position.

At the end of the 2011–12 season, Meunier's goal against Genk earned him third place for Goal of the Season.

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.

After the match, Meunier talked about scoring regularly, saying "Last season I scored three times. My ambition was to do better. But this is very close."

He started out playing in the right–wing position.

However, Meunier suffered injuries on two occasions that kept him out until November.

He didn't return until 17 November 2012, coming on as a second–half substitute, in a 6–2 win over Waasland-Beveren.

After returning, Meunier began playing in the right–back position, which he said was no problem.

Around late–January, he suffered an injury once again and was sidelined until March.

After returning to the first from injury, Meunier regained his first team place, where he played in the right–back position for the rest of the season.

At the end of the 2012–13 season, Meunier went on to make 28 appearances and scoring 4 times in all competitions.

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Meunier was sidelined until September, after an operation on a groin injury.

Since returning from injury, Meunier quickly returned to the first team, regaining his right–back position and helped the side keep a clean sheet four times between 14 September 2013 and 5 October 2013.

His performance attracted attention from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg but stayed at the club throughout the January transfer window.

It wasn't until on 18 February 2014 when he scored his first goal for the club, in a 5–2 win over OH Leuven.

He then scored twice on 16 March 2014, in a 2–0 win over Cercle Brugge.

In a 1–0 loss against Anderlecht on 4 May 2014, Meunier scored an own goal, which saw them lose and costing the club their title chances.

As a result, he signed a contract extension, to keep him at the club until 2016.

Despite injuries, Meunier finished his first season at Club Brugge, making 49 appearances and scoring 5 times in all competitions.