Thomas Vermaelen admits his injury hell made his first season at Barcelona a “terrible” one and that “I didn’t feel like I’d won the treble”.
The Belgian defender, a €19m arrival from Arsenal last summer, played just 63 minutes of competitive football for Barca in 2014-15 as he spent much of the campaign recovering from surgery on a troublesome hamstring, but he is now raring to go ahead of the new season.
“I received a medal, but I didn’t feel like I’d won the treble,” he was quoted as saying by Sport.
“I was happy for the team and my colleagues, but I honestly didn’t feel like I contributed much to the three trophies.
“I’m happy and glad to be back to normal. There is nothing better than feeling fit.
“What happened to me last year was terrible, and it was very difficult to recover from the injury, but my legs are now responding as they should be, perfectly.
“I feel 100 percent. We’re in pre-season and I’m picking up the pace gradually.
“Playing 60 minutes against a team of Manchester United’s calibre helped me a lot, and I’m happy
“Competition is great because I’m at a club where there are a lot of great players.
“If you want to be a great player, you must play for one of the best teams in the world and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
