Ritchie De Laet has certainly had an interesting career.
Now back at Antwerp where it all started, on loan from Aston Villa, he’s gone through some interesting experiences in English football.
Playing for 10 different Premier League clubs since his initial move to Stoke City, De Laet mixed with some great players at Manchester United but could never really get through to the first team enough.
After four loans away from Old Trafford he ended up with a permanent move to Leicester City and played the first half of the club’s Premier League winning season, securing himself a medal, before going on loan to Middlesbrough.
Next came a permanent move to Aston Villa, and it’s fair to say that didn’t go to plan.
Speaking to Belgium’s Het Belang van Limburg, De Laet was asked the reason, and explained: “The manager who had signed me was quickly gone, and then came the injury. His successor Steve Bruce felt that I had to be patient. But I am 29 years old, I want to play. That’s why I made it clear I wanted to be loaned. Antwerp was unfinished business.”
De Laet was injured in the December after joining Aston Villa and it ended his season, things didn’t get a lot better afterwards and he’ll be hoping for a kick-start to his career in Belgium.
And in case you’re wondering what the Dutch headline about Jamie Vardy is (on the screenshot)… it’s that he likes Belgian fries, but don’t we all.
