Tom Oldfield


Looking at the players gathered around him at the Manchester United training ground in August, defender Ritchie De Laet could have been forgiven for questioning just how long he would have to wait for a first-team opportunity. With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic regarded by many as the finest centre-back pairing in world football and a group of experienced full-backs at Sir Alex Ferguson’s disposal, there was no easy answer.
 
But then came the almighty injury crisis at Old Trafford that put as many as eight of Ferguson’s defenders on the treatment table during a turbulent December – and suddenly De Laet was in the right place at the right time. Comfortable playing anywhere across the back four and not short on confidence, the 21-year-old Belgian defender was a blessing for Ferguson as concern set in over the team’s title aspirations.
 
De Laet’s arrival in the champions’ first team actually came at the back end of last season when Man Utd visited Hull on the final day of the season. He was part of a youthful line-up which prevailed 1-0 to thwart a desperate Tigers side. Composed and quick, De Laet’s positional play was spot on and he handled the nerves admirably. It might have been a meaningless game for the league winners but the Belgian had everything to fight for.
 
As few follow the progress of Manchester United’s reserves, there had been little mention of De Laet between the Hull fixture – his full Premier League debut – and mid-November of the current campaign. But that all changed when Ferguson found himself dealing with injuries to Ferdinand, Vidic, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Gary Neville and Wes Brown – not to mention the  Da Silva twins. Left-back Patrice Evra was the only first-team defender available for a couple of weeks as the physios worked overtime.

And so De Laet got his chance, starting against Wolves and Fulham and tasting the pressure of a title assault for the first time. He quickly experienced the ups and downs as Man Utd strolled past Wolves to record a 3-0 victory then found themselves on the other end of that scoreline at Craven Cottage. The champions were faltering but for De Laet it was all part of the learning process. In his defence, there was limited help around him with Darren Fletcher filling in at right back and Michael Carrick playing as a makeshift centre-half.
 
The youngster’s journey to Manchester was not without incident and took in stops in his native Belgium with Royal Antwerp and in England with Stoke and Wrexham. His spell in the Antwerp first-team was brief to say the least as De Laet registered just nine appearances but his fortunes took a turn for the better when Stoke swooped for his signature in the summer of 2007.
 
That move appeared to be the break the defender had been looking for yet things never worked out at the Britannia Stadium. De Laet did not make a single appearance for the club despite spending several years there and was farmed out to Wrexham on loan in 2008 to finally grab some playing time at senior level. Again, though, fate conspired againsthim as injuries and a hernia operation prevented him from playing more than three games. He was left with feelings of frustration and exasperation over whether he would ever truly make the grade.
 
But good things come to those who wait – and De Laet’s big deal was just around the corner. Man Utd had been monitoring the youngster and in January 2009 he penned a three-year contract with the Red Devils with the fee dependant on his progress. Linking up with the club’s reserves, the Belgian worked on his weaknesses and put in a string of solid performances. The reports were positive and, after several years in which the youth system had struggled to put forward promising defenders, Man Utd had a young gun with a big future.
 
Not content with his rise at Old Trafford, De Laet is impressing on the international scene. Belgium have boasted some top class performers in past years but the current squad has struggled to replicate those successes, creating the opportunity for youngsters to push their case for selection. De Laet did just that, earning a debut in May 2009 against Chile and making an instant impact.
 
For now, though, club football is his primary focus and he has definitely furthered his case for future opportunities. Manchester United have lofty ambitions and they need a big squad to chase trophies on four fronts. After his promising displays during the recent injury crisis, De Laet’s stock has certainly risen and Ferguson will be all the more certain that he has a potential regular waiting in the wings.

 

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