Vermaelen played with Luis Suarez at Ajax in Amsterdam and found him an RS gold awkward opponent in England Javier Mascherano has stood in the way of Vermaelen's path to more regular first-team football in Spain Gerard Pique frequently partners Mascherano'Suarez hasn't changed,' points out Vermaelen.
He's always been competitive like he is now. He's been a similar player but now he plays at a high level. He's improving and fitting in nicely at Barcelona. I'm not surprised at what he's become. Even at Ajax he scored goals and was very clinical with his finishing. The difference is he does it at the highest level now.'Catalonia and Barcelona is definitely a different world to London and Arsenal, but Vermaelen has not forgotten his old pals. 'Sometimes I'm in contact with Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott,' he says.
I played golf with Aaron and Theo sometimes. He's much better than me! But he practises more.'While a classic pastime for footballers in England, it turns out there's no culture of it in Spain. Asked if any of his team-mates like to hit the course, Vermaelen responds emphatically. 'No way! I play with people in Sitges (a picturesque town down the coast) sometimes, some people at the course.
But I have no time. I have two kids and one is just six months old. I'm very busy.'His wife Polly, and their children Raff and Ace moved with him to settle down in Barcelona and after his first season was mostly spent on the treatment table and undergoing physiotherapy, things are going better now.'She [Polly] loves the weather of course. The kids are very happy.
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