Thomas Kleine

Infobox Football biography
playername = Thomas Kleine
fullname = Thomas Kleine


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|12|28
cityofbirth = Wermelskirchen
countryofbirth = West Germany
height = height|m=1.91
currentclub = Mönchengladbach
clubnumber = 15
position = Defender
youthyears = 0000–1998
youthclubs = SV 09/35 Wermelskirchen
years = 1998–2003
2001–2003
2003–2007
2007
2007
2008–
clubs = Bayer Leverkusen II
Bayer Leverkusen
Greuther Fürth
Hannover 96 II
Hannover 96
Mönchengladbach
caps(goals) = 095 0(6)
010 0(0)
131 (13)
002 0(0)
009 0(1)
008 0(2)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = August 17, 2008
ntupdate =

Thomas Kleine (born December 28, 1977 in Wermelskirchen) is a German footballer, currently at Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Kleine began his career in the youth ranks of his hometown club SV 09 Wermelskirchen where he remained until 1998, when he moved to Bayer Leverkusen's amateur ranks.

He played regularly with the amateurs in the lower league structures, but was unable to push his way into the full squad until the 2001/02 season. He finally made his Bundesliga debut on December 19, 2001 in a 1-3 defeat at VfL Wolfsburg.

The following season he made further progress, managing 6 more Bundesliga appearances and, perhaps more significantly, 7 games in their astonishing Champions League campaign, facing the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United. The club eventually achieved the unlikely honour of runners-ups (although Kleine himself did not compete beyond the 2nd group stage). The team also finished runners-up in both the league and cup.

Following this extraordinary season, Kleine left for 2.Bundesliga team SpVgg Greuther Fürth, looking to become a first team regular. He was a virtual ever-present in his four seasons with the club, amassing 131 appearances and catching the eye of Bundesliga club Hannover 96, especially with 9 goals in his final season. On February 13, 2007, he agreed to join Hannover 96 from the 2007/08 season onward.

Kleine moved in Januar 2008 to Borussia Mönchengladbach for a fee of 700,000 euro.