Thomas left Arsenal in August 2014 to join Barcelona.
The Belgium defender's final season ended with him leading the team up the famous Wembley steps to lift the FA Cup after beating Hull City 3-2 in a dramatic final.
A popular member of the squad who took his role as captain very seriously, Thomas joined Arsenal from Ajax in the summer of 2009 and became a firm favourite among the fanbase with a series of dynamic performances, punctuated by some spectacular goals. He was duly named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season at the end of his debut year.
Thomas was no stranger to the captain’s armband, having previously held the role at Ajax - where he spent nine years after joining from Germinal Beerschot - in his early twenties.
He also skippered the Belgian national team. He represented his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and at the 2014 World Cup, and was a regular at the heart of their back four.
