Ex-Dortmunder
©IMAGO
In his old days as a footballer, right-back Thomas Meunier (34) almost found his way into the Premier League, but the former Dortmund player’s club, LOSC Lille, prevented him from taking the step. The dream remains.
“I had a good offer to move to the Premier League, although it’s not exactly a league that usually signs older players,” revealed Meunier, according to L’Équipe, at the press conference before the LOSC game against Metz (Sunday, 3 p.m.).
Meunier turned 34 in September. With his current market value of 2 million euros, he is tied for fourth place in the ranking of professionals who are 34 or older in France’s upper house, behind ex-BVB striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (35, Olympique Marseille, market value: 3.5 million euros) and former Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp (35, Paris FC, market value: 2.5 million. euros). In the Premier League it would be enough for eighth place.
Meunier: “It’s nothing dramatic, but…”
Meunier obviously doesn’t take offense at his club’s decision: “It was an unexpected chance for me to finally play in the Premier League, but the club turned it down – that’s just how it is,” said the 75-time Belgian international, who did not reveal which club had wanted to get him. He emphasized: “I’m not going to complain, I’m not feeling bad here, neither is my family. It’s nothing dramatic, but playing in the Premier League is just something legendary. We’ll see what happens at the end of the season.”
Meunier’s contract expires in the summer. If the door to the Premier League opens again, he would be free to go through. Staying in Lille is also conceivable for the veteran. He said: “I don’t have an offer for a contract extension, but I’m open for now.”
Even now, while still an active professional, Meunier recently gained his first experience as a TV expert at the Belgian broadcaster “Pickx Sports”. Although this didn’t happen on his own initiative, but at the request of a journalist, Meunier nevertheless identified a possible future job after his career: “I thought it was pretty cool. I don’t know if I’ll do it again, but I could enjoy it in the future.”