Barcelona's forgotten man Thomas Vermaelen determined to prove himself

Barcelona center-back Thomas Vermaelen has vowed to put last year's disappointing injury-riddled campaign in the rear view and help the Catalans defend their historic treble.

Vermaelen, 29, who joined the Camp Nou on a £15-million transfer last summer from Arsenal, failed to recover from a hamstring strain suffered at last summer's World Cup. To make matters worse, the Belgian defender sustained a grave thigh injury that made recovery an insurmountable challenge.

Vermaelen considers last year a low point in his career, stating that he felt apprehensive about collecting the same medals as his teammates.

"I got a medal, but you don't feel like you have won the Treble," Vermaelen told Press Association Sport, ESPNFC reports.

"I was very happy for the team, but it's not like I contributed a lot for the cups we won."

Despite regrets about his first season at Barcelona, Vermaelen is optimistic about the upcoming season.

"I am very happy and very pleased to be back," he said.

Vermaelen continued, "There's nothing better than to feel fit. 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 percent now. We just started preseason so I am adapting still but I had 60 minutes against a good opponent so I am very pleased with that."

Should the sturdy center-back avoid injury this season, there are no guarantees that he'll find a consistent role in Barcelona's starting 11, with Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Jeremy Mathieu, and Marc Bartra all fighting for a first-team spot.