Thomas Didillon joins AS Monaco
The team have made their third recruit of the summer transfer window. After Takumi Minamino and Breel Embolo, AS Monaco now welcomes Thomas Didillon, on loan for one season. The athletic 26-year-old goalkeeper (1.93m), who has already played 232 official matches in all competitions as a professional, will wear the colors of the sixth club in his career in the Principality.
A big part of FC Metz’s promotion to Ligue 1
A product of the Academy at FC Metz, where he began his professional career, Thomas Didillon played his first pro game during the 2013-2014 season and won the Ligue 2 title the same year. After a successful loan to RFC Seraing in 2013-2014 (31 games), he was promoted with Les Grenats and had two full seasons (59 league games between 2014 and 2016) during which FC Metz played in Ligue 1 (2015-2016), and then stayed in the top flight (2016-2017).
In addition, his performances allowed him to be selected 20 times for the French youth teams and to win the Toulon Tournament in 2015 with the U20s. Thomas Didillon left Lorraine at the end of the 2017-2018 season and continued his development at one of Belgium’s most prestigious clubs, Anderlecht. In Belgium, the former Messin took part in 40 Jupiler League matches during the 2018-2019 season and played in Europe the same year (5 Europa League matches).
🙅♂️ | Wat een geweldige reflex van Thomas Didillon! 😳
Hij is onze '@bwinBE Save of the Week’. 🧤 pic.twitter.com/WEBfarRGTs
— Eleven Belgium (NL) (@ElevenBeNL) February 24, 2021
Nearly 60 matches with Cercle Bruges
A true leader on and off the pitch, he then played for another historic Belgian club, KRC Genk, during the second half of the 2019-2020 season, before finally joining Cercle Bruges in the summer of 2020. Playing 59 games with the sister club of AS Monaco, he actively contributed to the Groen-Zwart‘s survival in 2020-2021, then in the team’s fine season last year, which saw them finish tenth, just outside of the play-off places.
Present since the team’s return in the Monegasque preseason activities, he has integrated perfectly and is a symbol of the existing links between AS Monaco and Cercle. Now, Thomas Didilllon will bring his experience and his maturity to the Rouge et Blanc.
> Paul Mitchell, AS Monaco Sporting Director:
“We are delighted that Thomas is joining AS Monaco. He is an experienced goalkeeper, who has played for the most prestigious Belgian clubs, such as Anderlecht and Genk, and who has European experience as well. His maturity and his natural leadership, which we have seen at work since the team’s start to the preseason, make him a valuable addition for the development of our young squad. This arrival also demonstrates once again the benefits of the synergy that we have with Cercle.”
> Thomas Didillon :
“I am proud to join AS Monaco, one of the most iconic and successful clubs in Ligue 1 and to return to the French to flight. I am grateful to the hierarchy here for giving me the opportunity to take part in this exciting project with the Club and I want to share my experience with my new teammates, with whom I already have the chance to play oveer the last several weeks. I can’t wait for us to play our first official matches!”
