Former Manchester United youngster Ritchie de Laet played his part in a famous Champions League victory on Wednesday night as Royal Antwerp defeated the giants of Barcelona in Belgium.
At the age of 35, the veteran right-back is almost two decades older than the player who scored Royal Antwerp’s 92nd minute winner against the champions of Spain at the Bosuilstadion, George Ilenikhena firing past Barca keeper Inaki Pena mere moments after fellow 17-year-old Marc Guiu had levelled the scoring at 2-2 at the other end.
There is certainly plenty of life left in Ritchie de Laet’s legs, the one-time Manchester United defender ensuring that Antwerp exited European football with one hell of a consolation prize.
Royal Antwerp stun Barcelona in Champions League
“I looked briefly at the stands to see how things were going. It’s beautiful,” an emotional Marc van Bommel told VTM, the Antwerp boss writing his name into club folklore.
“When you see it from below, from the field, how much beer is flying through the air…
“These are those Bosuil evenings that we also experienced last year (when winning Belgium’s top-flight for the first time in 57 years). These are special evenings.”
When Ritchie de Laet returned to his Belgian homeland in 2019, the one-time Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa man may have done so with the expectation of winding down his career away from the limelight.
But a Champions League victory over Barcelona? Talk about a late birthday present, De Laet celebrating his 35th only a couple of weeks ago.
Ritchie de Laet still going strong
De Laet, who joined Man United from Stoke City back in 2009, made only three Premier League appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson before heading off to Leicester. And, spending the second half of that 2015/16 season out on loan at Middlesbrough, De Laet is part of a very exclusive group of players who both celebrated a Premier League title and won promotion from England’s second tier in the very same season.
Arthur Vermeeren, the £20 million-rated teenager admired by United, opened the scoring against Barcelona on Wednesday.
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