Michael Thomas (footballer, born 1967)
Thomas playing a charity match for Liverpool in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Lauriston Thomas | ||
| Date of birth | 24 August 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Lambeth, London, England | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1984 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1984–1991 | Arsenal | 163 | (24) |
| 1986 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 1991–1998 | Liverpool | 124 | (9) |
| 1998 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Benfica | 18 | (1) |
| 2000–2001 | Wimbledon | 8 | (0) |
| – | Total | 326 | (34 ) |
| National team | |||
| 1987–1989 | England U21 | 12 | (3) |
| 1989–1992 | England B | 5 | (0) |
| 1988–1989 | England | 2 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Michael Lauriston Thomas (born 24 August 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder from 1986 to 2001.
He is best remembered for scoring a last-minute goal in injury time during the final match of the 1988-89 season, which allowed Arsenal to claim the First Division title over Liverpool. Later in his career, Thomas went on to play for Liverpool and scored a goal for the Reds in the 1992 FA Cup Final. He also had spells at Benfica and Wimbledon before retiring in 2001, after a career that saw him win medals in all of English football's top three domestic football trophies. He was capped twice by England.
He was born in Lambeth, London. After growing up as a Spurs fan Thomas signed for rivals Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1982, turning professional on 31 December 1984 at the age of 17, just months after leaving school. He was loaned out to Portsmouth in early 1987, playing three times, before returning to Arsenal. His Gunners career started with a baptism of fire, as Thomas made his debut in the first leg of a League Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury on 8 February 1987. Arsenal lost 1-0, but would go on to win the League Cup after a comeback in the second leg.
Thomas soon became a regular in the Arsenal side, making his league debut on 14 February 1987 in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. By the end of that campaign he had played 12 league games as Arsenal finished fourth and had a League Cup winners medal, coming on as a late substitute as Arsenal defeated Liverpool at Wembley. He played 37 times, mainly at right-back, in the 1987-88 season, and scored nine goals - excellent for a player who mainly featured in defence. With the arrival of right-back Lee Dixon late in the season, Thomas was moved forward into midfield for the 1988-89 season. He appeared in that game alongside his Arsenal midfield colleague Brian Marwood, who had joined them from Sheffield Wednesday eight months earlier.
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