Thomas Vermaelen stops playing football and becomes assistant to Roberto Martinez | Red Devils

Thomas Vermaelen is a free player on 1 February. His contract in Japan with Vissel Kobe then expires. The reason for the termination of the collaboration remains a mystery to this day. The fact is that it is time for Vermaelen for something new.

Everyone assumed that this would be a new football club, but Vermaelen and the football association give a surprising turn to his career. Vermaelen stops as a football player and becomes the new assistant of Roberto Martinez.

He must fill the void left by the departure of Shaun Maloney, Martinez’s previous assistant. “I am really looking forward to this challenge and am very honored, happy and grateful to be one of Martinez’s assistants in preparing for the World Cup.”

Thomas Vermaelen’s career choice ultimately fell on the role of assistant at the Red Devils.

Vermaelen is one of the Red Devils who has been following a trainer course since March 2020. This course was specially set up by the union to guide the Golden Generation. The union would now reap the first fruits of this.

Roberto Martinez was impressed by the insight and the qualities that Vermaelen showed during the course. In addition, after Shaun Maloney left for Hibernian in Scotland, Martinez was looking for reinforcements in his staff.

One plus one equals two. Martinez knows Vermaelen very well and Vermaelen knows the player group like no other. A collaboration is therefore a logical choice for both parties.

Thomas Vermaelen is therefore certainly there at the World Cup in Qatar. Not as a player, but as an assistant.