It’s a career that has seen Thomas Vermaelen play for some of the world’s most illustrious clubs.
Despite the long list of injuries Vermaelen suffered during his time at Barcelona, he will always cherish the time he spent at the Camp Nou playing alongside Lionel Messi.
“I’m very happy that I could play with one of the best there’s ever been,” he says. “He made me a better player.
“It was an unbelievable experience. He eventually becomes one of your team-mates, but at the beginning he’s a big star.
“During my years there, sometimes I was still surprised by some things he did in training and in games. It was just a nice experience to see these things; what he can do with the ball.”
Now settled in Japan, Vermaelen has made 10 appearances for Kobe, who finished eighth in the J-League after a largely disappointing campaign.
They are in the Emperor's Cup semi-finals, however, where they will face Shimizu S-Pulse later on December 21.
Vermaelen has adapted well to life in a new country but he is still living on his own, with his wife and two sons due to join him soon.
So, he has spent most of his time immersing himself in football and getting to know his new team-mates.
“Kobe is a nice city but my family is not here yet,” he said. “It’s not like I’ve been visiting so many places. Firstly, it’s been about adapting to the team and then I will explore more outside.
“The club has helped very well and it’s been very easy to adapt outside football. That’s very important for your mind because you can focus and concentrate on your job.
“It’s made it easier for me to adapt and that’s made easy for me to play my football.”
Vermaelen added: “The J-League is a good league and a very attractive league. The teams want to play with ideas and there are good players, technical and quick players. The level is good in Japan. Of course, there are always things you can improve but I’m quite surprised how good the league is and quite positive.”