Barcelona defender Vermaelen determined to prove himself
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 25: Wayne Rooney #10 of Manchester United balltes Thomas Vermaelen #23 of Barcelona during the International Champions Cup 2015 match between FC Barcelona and Manchester United at Levi's Stadium on July 25, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. Manchester United won the match 3-1. (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
Thomas Vermaelen is determined to prove himself at Barcelona next season after enduring a "terrible" maiden campaign at the Nou Camp.
Barca signed Vermaelen from Arsenal for £15million last summer, but the Belgian struggled to recover from a hamstring strain he suffered at the World Cup and then sustained a serious thigh injury.
Vermaelen watched on in frustration as his team-mates completed a historic treble. The 29-year-old had to wait until the final league game of the season to make his debut.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The Belgian felt uneasy about collecting winner's medals last year when he barely contributed, and regards the campaign as a low point in his career.
"I got a medal, but you don't feel like you have won the treble," said Vermaelen after playing an hour of Barcelona's 3-1 friendly defeat to Manchester United in Santa Clara on Saturday.
"I was very happy for the team, but it's not like I contributed a lot for the cups we won."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Vermaelen has come through the first two games of Barca's pre-season tour of the United States unscathed and is optimistic about maintaining his fitness in the build-up to the new campaign.
"I am very happy and very pleased to be back," the former Arsenal defender said.
"There's nothing better than to feel fit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Last year was terrible. It was a nasty injury, a very difficult one and I am very happy that the feeling in the legs is perfect again, like it should be.
"I feel 100 per cent now. We just started pre-season so I am adapting still but I had 60 minutes against a good opponent so I am very pleased with that."
Even if he is fully fit, Vermaelen is by no means assured of a place in Luis Enrique's starting XI, of course.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Jeremy Mathieu are also fighting for the two centre-half places available, but Vermaelen is not fazed by the challenge that lies ahead.
He said: "In a club like this there's loads of competition so that's normal.
"We have a lot of great players. It's not easy but that's why you become a football player, to play for the best teams in the world and I am part of that."