Thomas Vermaelen regrets staying at Barcelona

Barcelona, November 16: Former Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen has admitted his regrets over staying at Barcelona last season.

The injury-plagued defender was wanted by a host of clubs, including Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Everton but opted to stay at Camp Nou and his decision proved to be a poor one.

Newly-appointed Ernesto Valverde convinced him to remain at the Nou Camp and fight for his place after a frustrating couple of years on the treatment table.

Despite Barcelona's stunning early season form taking them four points clear at the top of La Liga, Vermaelen's personal misery has been a constant.

The 32-year-old has been included in the matchday squad on numerous occasions, but the 31-year-old has been restricted to just one game against Murcia in the Copa del Rey for the Catalans.

The veteran did get some much-needed game time for his country against Mexico last week, which he said he was "happy to play with Belgium, given that my with my club I almost never play".

However, he looks unsure of a place in the national team in next year’s FIFA World Cup if he does not feature on a regular basis at club level and is therefore frustrated and concerned.

The Belgian is desperate to get out on the pitch more in order to cement his seat on the plane to Russia.

And with his native Belgian club Anderlecht rumoured to be interested in signing him, he could be heading out of the Barca exit door within the coming months - although he is staying tight-lipped on his next destination.

He told Het Laatste Nieuws: "I'm not going to say anything about that because last time I spoke my words were taken out of context."

He added: "In the summer I thought it would be positive to stay at Barcelona.

"But after seeing how my situation is here, I've seen that's not the case."