Thomas Kaminski

Thomas Kaminski

Kaminski in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Kaminski [1]
Date of birth	(1992-10-23) 23 October 1992 (age 31) [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	40	(0)
International career‡
2007	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)
2024–	Belgium	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:49, 20 August 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2024 (UTC)

Thomas Kaminski (born 23 October 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Luton Town and the Belgium national team.

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 the 1991–92 season. He won the Premier League Save of the Season award after the campaign for his save against Crystal Palace on 25 November 2023. ^[10]

International career

Youth

Despite having 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.^{[ citation needed ]}

Senior

Failed national team nominations

In May 2013, Kaminski received his first call-up the Belgian senior squad for a friendly match against the United States, but remained on the bench. ^[11] Exactly one year later, prior to the start of Belgium's 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign, he was called up to the national team's senior side again 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. ^[12] Kaminski made the bench for Belgium's 5–1 friendly defeat against Luxembourg in a friendly match on 26 May 2014, ^[13] but the record of the match was dismissed by FIFA due to the side making seven substitutes instead of the maximum six substitutes permitted. ^[14]

On 9 November 2020, Kaminski was called up due to the injury of Anderlecht goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge, ^[15] but forced to withdraw two days later after being tested positive for COVID-19. ^[16]

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. ^[17] He was called up for the sixth time in under one year as he was named as part of Martínez's squad for the national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and the Czech Republic in August. ^[18]

Eventual senior team debut

On 23 March 2024, Kaminski eventually debuted for the Belgian senior squad in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland, as a late substitute for Matz Sels. ^[19]

Personal life

Kaminski is of Belgian descent through his mother and Polish descent through his father. ^[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 May 2024 ^[21]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Germinal Beerschot	2008–09	Belgian Pro League	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	2009–10	Belgian Pro League	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
	2010–11	Belgian Pro League	30	0	4	0	—		—		34	0
	2011–12	Belgian Pro League	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	Total		38	0	4	0	—		—		42	0
OH Leuven	2011–12	Belgian Pro League	25	0	1	0	—		—		26	0
Anderlecht	2012–13	Belgian Pro League	1	0	2	0	—		0	0	3	0
	2013–14	Belgian Pro League	10	0	2	0	—		3 [lower-alpha 1]	0	15	0
	2014–15	Belgian Pro League	2	0	0	0	—		1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	3	0
	2015–16	Belgian Pro League	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
	Total		13	0	4	0	—		4	0	21	0
Anorthosis Famagusta (loan)	2014–15	Cypriot First Division	30	0	2	0	—		—		32	0
Copenhagen (loan)	2015–16	Danish Superliga	2	0	5	0	—		—		7	0
Kortrijk	2016–17	Belgian Pro League	32	0	0	0	—		—		32	0
	2017–18	Belgian Pro League	34	0	4	0	—		—		38	0
	2018–19	Belgian Pro League	18	0	1	0	—		—		19	0
	Total		84	0	5	0	—		—		89	0
Gent	2018–19	Belgian Pro League	19	0	3	0	—		—		22	0
	2019–20	Belgian Pro League	29	0	1	0	—		14 [lower-alpha 3]	0	33	0
	2020–21	Belgian Pro League	1	0	0	0	—		—		1	0
	Total		49	0	4	0	—		14	0	67	0
Blackburn Rovers	2020–21	Championship	43	0	0	0	1	0	—		44	0
	2021–22	Championship	44	0	0	0	1	0	—		22	0
	2022–23	Championship	28	0	1	0	0	0	—		29	0
	Total		115	0	1	0	0	2	—		118	0
Luton Town	2023–24	Premier League	38	0	0	0	0	0	—		38	0
Career total			337	0	25	0	2	0	18	0	362	0

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
2. Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Anderlecht

• Belgian Pro League: 2012–13, 2013–14
• Belgian Super Cup: 2012, 2013, 2014

Copenhagen

• Danish Superliga: 2015–16
• Danish Cup: 2015–16

Individual

• Premier League Save of the Season: 2023–24 ^[10]
• Premier League Save of the Month: November 2023 ^[22]
• Blackburn Rovers Player of the Season: 2020–21

References

1. "UEFA Champions League 2013/2014: Booking List before Group stage Matchday 6" (PDF). UEFA. 5 December 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
2. "Thomas Kaminski: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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. "Kaminski wins Castrol Save of the Season award". Premier League. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
11. "USA v Belgium game reporturl=". ESPN. 29 May 2013.
12. "Belgium call up yet another keeper after Mignolet injury". Reuters. 25 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
13. "Belgium 5-1 Luxembourg". BBC Sport. BBC. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
14. "Adnan Januzaj's Belgium debut wiped from record books". BBC Sport . BBC. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
15. "Kaminski out of Belgium squad". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
16. "Kaminski out of Belgium squad". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
17. "Kaminski earns Belgium call up". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
18. "Keeper gets Belgium call". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
19. Simmonds, Mike (28 May 2024). "Luton goalkeeper named in Belgium's 25-man squad for Euro 2024 finals". Luton Today. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
20. "Kiest Kaminski voor Polen?" [Will Kaminski choose Poland?]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 22 November 2012.
21. Thomas Kaminski at Soccerway
22. "Kaminski claims Castrol Save of the Month". Premier League. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.

External links

• Thomas Kaminski at the Royal Belgian Football Association
• Thomas Kaminski – UEFA competition record ( archive ) 
• Thomas Kaminski – FIFA competition record (archived)