Simon Thomas (soccer)

Simon Edmund Thomas (born April 12, 1990) is a Canadian soccer goalkeeper who plays for Norwegian club Sarpsborg 08.

Simon Thomas

Personal information
Full name	Simon Edmund Thomas[1]
Date of birth	April 12, 1990
Place of birth	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Sarpsborg 08
Number	12
Youth career
2006–2007	Metro Victoria United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2009	Whitecaps Residency	19	(0)
2008–2010	Vancouver Whitecaps	1	(0)
2011–2012	Huddersfield Town	0	(0)
2013	Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23	6	(0)
2013	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	0	(0)
2013	→ FC Edmonton (loan)	0	(0)
2014	Newport County	0	(0)
2015	Strømmen	28	(0)
2015–2018	Bodø/Glimt	17	(0)
2018	Kongsvinger	5	(0)
2018	Strømmen	15	(0)
2019–2020	KFUM Oslo	14	(0)
2020–	Sarpsborg 08	1	(0)
National team^‡
2013–	Canada	8	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of December 19, 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 8, 2017

Club career

Youth and amateur

Thomas attended Oak Bay High School and played club soccer for the Victoria United U-18 Metro team before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program.

Professional

Thomas played with the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency squad in the team's first USL Premier Development League season in 2008, before being called up to the senior Vancouver Whitecaps side.[2] He spent the 2009 season back in the PDL playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency squad, before being recalled to the senior Whitecaps squad for the 2010 season.

Thomas made his professional debut on September 11, 2010[3] against Crystal Palace Baltimore, coming on as a late substitute for Jay Nolly.

On August 5, 2011, after a successful trial period, he signed a one-year contract with English side Huddersfield Town. He left the club in June 2012, after not being offered a new contract by the manager, Simon Grayson. He did not make a single first team appearance for the club.

In August 2014 Thomas joined Football League Two club Newport County on a short contract to cover injuries. He left the club September 1, 2014 having not made a first team appearance, though he was regularly on the substitutes bench for League Two matches.

Thomas signed a contract with OBOS-ligaen club Strømmen prior to the 2015 season. As the first choice goalkeeper, he started 28 of the club's 30 matches in 2015, and broke club records for fewest goals against, and most shutouts in a season.[4][5]

In November 2015 Thomas joined Tippeligaen club Bodø/Glimt on a three-year deal.[6][7][8][9]

In early 2018, Thomas joined Kongsvinger in the OBOS-ligaen.

After only a few months with Kongsvinger, Thomas switched to fellow 2nd tier side Strømmen, where he played in 2015.[10]

On February 18, 2019 he signed with newly promoted Norwegian First Division club KFUM-Kameratene Oslo.[11]

In September 2020, Thomas would sign with Eliteserien club Sarpsborg 08.[12]

Career statistics

As of December 19, 2020[13]

Club	Division	Season	League		Playoffs		Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)	USSF Division 2	2010	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	MLS	2013	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
FC Edmonton (loan)	NASL	2013	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Newport County	League Two	2014–15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Strømmen	1. divisjon	2015	28	0	0	0	2	0	30	0
Bodø/Glimt	Tippeligaen	2016	9	0	0	0	2	0	11	0
	1. divisjon	2017	8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
	Eliteserien	2018	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		17	0	0	0	3	0	20	0
Kongsvinger	1. divisjon	2018	5	0	0	0	1	0	6	0
Strømmen		2018	15	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
KFUM Oslo		2019	7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
		2020	7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
	Total		14	0	0	0	0	0	14	0
Sarpsborg 08	Eliteserien	2020	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Career Total			81	0	0	0	6	0	87	0

International career

Thomas received his first call up to the Canada Under-23 squad on the March 9, 2012, for the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[14]

Thomas made his senior team debut on January 26, 2013 in a friendly against Denmark as a second half sub for Lars Hirschfeld, the game ended as a 4–0 defeat.[15] Days later he played the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw with the United States. On June 27, 2013 Thomas was listed as a part of the confirmed 23-man squad for Colin Miller's Canada squad for 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[16]

After becoming the first choice goalkeeper for Strømmen, Thomas was listed as part of the 23 man roster for a friendly against Ghana,[17] as well as 2018 World Cup Qualifiers against Honduras and El Salvador.[18]

References

1. "40-Player National Team Roster: 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup: Canada" (PDF). CONCACAF. p. 2. Retrieved May 20, 2019 – via Bernews.
2. Archived September 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
3. "USSF Division-2 Pro League". Ussf.demosphere.com. September 11, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
4. Oscar Melander (November 24, 2015). "Canucks Abroad: 2015 review of Norway's Tippeligan". Red Nation Online. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
5. Thomas Brown (November 14, 2015). "Canucks Abroad: Canucks Plying Their Trade Abroad Take Starring Roles". Red Nation Online. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
6. "Simon Thomas on Twitter". Retrieved November 21, 2015.
7. "Simon Thomas signs for Glimt". FK Bodo Glimt Website. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
8. Simon Fudge. "Canadian Shot stopper stays on in Norway". goal.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
9. Cleve Dheenshaw. "Victoria's Simon Thomas quickly climbing soccer ladde". Victoria Times Colonist. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
10. "SIMON THOMAS TIL STRØMMEN". July 15, 2018.
11. "Kanadisk landslagskeeper Kåffa-klar". Retrieved February 19, 2019.
12. "Simon Thomas Klar For Sarpsborg 08". Sarpsborg 08. September 10, 2020.
13. "Simon Thomas profile". Soccerway. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
14. http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10312~2642592,00.html?
15. "Inexperienced Canada overpowered by Denmark". Canada Soccer Association. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
16. "Canada Finalize roster for Gold Cup, announces friendly". Canada Soccer. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
17. "Canada sets men's roster for friendly vs. Ghana". Sportsnet. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
18. "Canada MNT squad selection unveiled in downtown Vancouver". Canada Soccer. Retrieved August 21, 2015.

External links

• Canada Soccer profile
• Simon Thomas at Soccerway
• Vancouver Whitecaps bio
• Simon Thomas at Soccerbase