The name Floribert Ngalula might not mean a lot to many young Manchester United fans, but for the older generation, those who can remember the bench of an EFL Cup game against Crystal Palace back in October 2004, it might ring a distant bell.
The now retired 32-year-old spent four years at the Old Trafford club between 2003 and 2007, playing for both their U18s and reserves before running down his contract and heading to Randers FC in Denmark.
A nomadic career ensued, but Ngalula is now at Anderlecht with Vincent Kompany as a part of his staff, and Sport/Foot in Belgium went to talk to him about various parts of his career, including his move from Belgium to Manchester United.
He said: “English scouts had spotted me in the national team. I visited United’s training complex, as well went to Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Bolton ,where Sam Allardyce was insisting to sign me, and Feyenoord. Manchester (United) had perfectly prepared my visit.
“They presented Laurent Blanc, Fabien Barthez and Ruud Van Nistelrooy to me. Alex Ferguson came to have a few words with me. ‘Congratulations Floribert, I see you next year’. Ferguson, Mr Manchester United, spoke to me like he’d known me for years.
“When I left Manchester United, my decision was made. I was going to sign there. In March, I turned 16 and I was able to sign my first professional contract. Anderlecht (where he was at the time) didn’t do anything until they learned I was going to leave”.
The defensive midfielder was seen as the next Patrick Vieira, and went through the various youth levels until he captained the U23s, eventually getting selected as part of the first-team group for a couple of league cup games.
Unfortunately, he then suffered a hip injury with Belgium’s U19s, which was first dismissed as a muscle injury until he visited a specialist in London a month later, who told him the cartilage was damaged and he needed an operation.
Ngalula explains he was ‘never the same’ after that, much like Abou Diaby at Arsenal, whose career went awry after a similar issue.
However, the 32-year-old insists he has no regrets about moving to England at such a young age, and believes he probably would have got injured if he’d stayed at Anderlecht, because he ‘believes in fate’.
After all, he met his wife in a physiotherapy clinic in Hamburg because of his injuries.
Following his spell at Old Trafford and his move to Randers, Ngalula played in Holland, Israel and America (with DC United) before heading to Germany, Finland and finally returning to Belgium with OH Leuven.
