Thomas Kaminski

Thomas Kaminski (born 23 October 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Luton Town.

Thomas Kaminski
Kaminski in 2022
Personal information
Full name Thomas Kaminski[1]
Date of birth (1992-10-23) 23 October 1992[2]
Place of birth Dendermonde, Belgium
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Luton Town
Number 24
Youth career
2000–2002 Zellik Sport
2002–2004 Asse-Zellik
2004–2005 Tubize
2005–2008 Gent
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Germinal Beerschot 38 (0)
2011–2012 OH Leuven 25 (0)
2012–2016 Anderlecht 13 (0)
2014–2015 → Anorthosis (loan) 30 (0)
2015–2016 → Copenhagen (loan) 2 (0)
2016–2019 Kortrijk 84 (0)
2019–2020 Gent 49 (0)
2020–2023 Blackburn Rovers 115 (0)
2023– Luton Town 5 (0)
International career
2005 Belgium U15 1 (0)
2007–2008 Belgium U16 6 (0)
2008–2009 Belgium U17 9 (0)
2009–2011 Belgium U19 12 (0)
2011–2013 Belgium U21 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 October 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Germinal Beerschot

Kaminski debuted in the Belgian top league for Germinal Beerschot in May 2009. He became the starting goalkeeper in the 2010–11 season.

OH Leuven

In August 2011, Kaminski signed a one-year contract with Oud-Heverlee Leuven.[3]

Anderlecht

He also signed an agreement which tied him to Anderlecht at the end of that season.[4] He played his first match for Anderlecht on 25 August 2012 against Oud-Heverlee Leuven. In summer 2015 Kaminski was loaned by F.C. Copenhagen.[5]

Blackburn Rovers

On 26 August 2020, Kaminski joined EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee. Kaminski signed a two-year-deal with the club, with the option of a further year.[6]

After his move to England, Kaminski was required to go into quarantine as part of the UK's COVID-19 measures at the time. He went on to make his Championship debut for Blackburn on 12 September, in the club's 3–2 defeat by Bournemouth. By the end of Blackburn's 2020–21 season, Kaminski appeared for the club competitively on 44 occasions, with Kaminski's impressive performances during the season seeing him become a fan-favourite of the Rovers supporters and being named as Player of the Season.[7][8] In February 2022 he signed a contract extension until the end of the 2024–25 season.[9]

Luton Town

In August 2023, Kaminski signed for newly-promoted Luton Town ahead of their first top-flight campaign since 1991-92.

International career

Whilst Kaminski has represented Belgium's youth teams at its U15, U16, U17, U19 and U21 levels, Kaminski is also eligible to play for Poland due to his father being of Polish descent.

In May 2014, prior to the start of Belgium's 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign, Kaminski was called up to the national team's senior side for the first time after Thibaut Courtois was rested following his appearance in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final and injuries to Koen Casteels, Silvio Proto and Simon Mignolet left the side with no other available options.[10]

Kaminski made the bench for Belgium's 5–1 defeat of Luxembourg in a friendly on 26 May,[11] but the record of the match was dismissed by FIFA due to the side making seven substitutes instead of the maximum six substitutes permitted.[12] Following the return of Courtois and Mignolet to the side, Kaminski's stint with the national team came to an end.

On 9 October 2020, Kaminski was called up by Belgium manager Roberto Martínez for the side's UEFA Nations League games against England and Iceland. It was the first time Kaminski had been called by his national side in more than six years. He was then called up a month later on 9 November due to an injury to Anderlecht goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge,[13] although he was forced to withdraw two days later due to testing positive for COVID-19.[14]

On 19 March 2021, Kaminski was called up yet again by Martínez, for the nation's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Wales, Czech Republic and Belarus.[15] In June, Kaminski was called up for friendly games against Greece and Croatia ahead of its UEFA Euro 2020 campaign, although Kaminski didn't initially make the squad for the tournament, until he was called up as a replacement for the injured Mignolet on 28 June. It was the first time that Kaminski had been called up by Belgium for a major tournament. His link-up with the squad didn't last long, however, as Belgium were defeated 2–1 by Italy in the quarter-finals.

Kaminski was called up for the sixth time in under a year as he was named as part of Martínez's squad for the national's teams upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and the Czech Republic in August.[16] He was called up, yet again, on 15 November for Belgium's World Cup qualifier against Wales. Despite having been called up by Belgium on seven occasions by this point, Kaminski is yet to make his senior national team debut.

Personal life

Kaminski is of Belgian descent through his mother and Polish descent through his father.[17]

Career statistics
As of match played 28 January 2023[18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Germinal Beerschot 2008–09 Belgian Pro League 2000——20
2009–10 Belgian Pro League 4000——40
2010–11 Belgian Pro League 30040——340
2011–12 Belgian Pro League 2000——20
Total 38040——420
OH Leuven 2011–12 Belgian Pro League 25010——260
Anderlecht 2012–13 Belgian Pro League 1020—0030
2013–14 Belgian Pro League 10020—3[lower-alpha 1]0150
2014–15 Belgian Pro League 2000—1[lower-alpha 2]030
2015–16 Belgian Pro League 0000—0000
Total 13040—40210
Anorthosis Famagusta (loan) 2014–15 Cypriot First Division 30020——320
FC Copenhagen (loan) 2015–16 Danish Superliga 2050——70
Kortrijk 2016–17 Belgian First Division A 32000——320
2017–18 Belgian First Division A 34040——380
2018–19 Belgian First Division A 18010——190
Total 84050——890
Gent 2018–19 Belgian First Division A 19030——220
2019–20 Belgian First Division A 29010—14[lower-alpha 3]0330
2020–21 Belgian First Division A 1000——10
Total 49040—140670
Blackburn Rovers 2020–21 EFL Championship 4300010—440
2021–22 440001000220
2022–23 280100000290
Total 11501002001180
Career total 2990250201803240
  1. Appearance in UEFA Champions League
  2. Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Anderlecht

Copenhagen

Individual

  • Blackburn Rovers Player of the Season: 2020–21

References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Blackburn Rovers" (PDF). English Football League. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. "Thomas Kaminski". Premier League. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  3. "Kaminski signe un an à OH Louvain" [Kaminski signs a one-year contract with OH Louvain] (in French).
  4. "Kaminski a signé au Sporting d'Anderlecht" [Akbar Kaminski has signed for Anderlecht] (in French).
  5. "Thomas Kaminski prêté un an à Copenhague par Anderlecht". 1 August 2015.
  6. "Welkom Thomas!". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. Crooke, Jaquob (6 September 2021). "Defensive statistic amplifies the importance of securing key Blackburn Rovers player's future". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. Sharpe, Rich (7 May 2021). "Rovers reveal their 2020/21 player of the year award winner". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  9. "Blackburn keeper Kaminski extends deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  10. "Belgium call up yet another keeper after Mignolet injury". uk.reuters.com. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  11. "Belgium 5-1 Luxembourg". BBC Sport. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  12. "Adnan Januzaj's Belgium debut wiped from record books". BBC Sport. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  13. "Kaminski out of Belgium squad". Rovers.co.uk. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  14. "Kaminski out of Belgium squad". Rovers.co.uk. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  15. "Kaminski earns Belgium call up". Rovers.co.uk. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  16. "Keeper gets Belgium call". Rovers.co.uk. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  17. "Kiest Kaminski voor Polen?" [Will Kaminski choose Poland?]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 22 November 2012.
  18. Thomas Kaminski at Soccerway
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