Lille's Thomas Meunier: rolling back the years
At 34 years old, Belgian veteran Thomas Meunier continues to perform at the highest level for Lille OSC. His performance over the weekend has LOSC on the verge of UEFA Champions League qualification.
A glittering career
Monaco wouldn't have been surprised by Meunier's impact. After all, the Belgium international has excelled in Ligue 1 McDonald's prior. He joined PSG back in 2016 in what was a dominant period for the now-European champions. Between 2017 and 2020, the full-back won three consecutive Ligue 1 McDonald's titles, three Coupe de France titles, and three Coupe de la Ligue titles.
He would be a regular under successive managers, racking up 128 appearances during his four-year spell at the Parc des Princes, netting 13 goals and registering 22 assists in that time, before heading to Borussia Dortmund. Not bad figures for a defender.
On an international level, he was a key part of what is now considered to have been the 'Golden Generation' of Belgian football. He would play a prominent role during the Red Devils' World Cup campaign in 2018, where they would get all the way to the semi-finals, before coming unstuck against France. Incidentally, he wasn't involved in that game due to suspension, but he returned and scored against England in the third-place playoff as Belgium ensured a place on the podium.
Special Champions League match for Meunier ✨🔙 pic.twitter.com/65ADPNISCo
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 4, 2025
He returned to France back in 2024, and just a matter of kilometres away from his native Belgium, he has found a home at Lille. To date, he has played 81 games for Les Dogues, and his performance against Monaco on Sunday night counts among his finest.
Defensively extremely solid, comfortably winning his battle against Simon Adingra, who failed to make any impact prior to his exit on the hour-mark, it was his contribution a bit higher up that was crucial in allowing Bruno Genesio's side to take all three points from their visit to the Principality.
It was for his attacking output that Meunier forged a reputation, and it was his ability to pick up positions in midfield and quality of distribution that helped LOSC thrive inside the opening 30 minutes at the Stade Louis II. Finding himself on the left of midfield, completely untracked, he chipped a ball with the outside of his right foot, perfectly in behind and into the path of Ayyoub Bouaddi, who failed to finish from a tight angle.
Meunier the "machine"
And more generally, Meunier was simply everywhere on Sunday night. "Thomas is a machine! He just runs," said his team-mate, Aissa Mandi. But he doesn't just run, as he showed against Les Monégasques; he has technical ability and an ability to be decisive in the final third.
"When we had attacking problems, [Thomas] told me: 'Coach, you can count on me up top.' It is because he started out as a forward," added Genesio. The LOSC manager praises Meunier's "much-above-average" athleticism and his "incredible technique". Both were on display over the weekend, and even if the goal that decided the game was not attributed to the Belgian, it was his darting run that forced Denis Zakaria to put it into his own net.
Meunier has kept the promising Tiago Santos out of the team recently, but there is now uncertainty regarding his future, with his contract up at the end of the season. Based on Sunday night, LOSC would be advised to extend it.
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