Aston Villa defender Ritchie De Leat has joined his former side Royal Antwerp on loan until the end of the season.
Antwerp born De Laet began his career with the Pro League side before leaving for Stoke aged 19. Now 29, De Laet was struggling for first team minutes at Villa and the loan move to Antwerp should see him return to first team action.
Since joining Villa from Leicester City last season, De Laet has struggled with injuries which have significantly hampered his playing time. His season was ended against Brentford in September 2016 after he suffered a terrible a knee injury in just his third appearance for the club.
De Laet has since fought back from his problems to make nine appearances for Steve Bruce’s side this season but he’s since found himself further down the pecking order at Villa Park with Ahmed Elmohamady, Alan Hutton and James Bree all ahead of him.
Royal Antwerp find themselves fifth in the table level with K.A.A Gent on 35 points, just eight points behind Belgian giants Anderlecht.
This loan move will see De Laet playing at a high level of football and could pave the way for a permanent move away from Villa Park in the summer.
