Why 32 Reds were sent on loan to Royal Antwerp

“For me personally, it was a fantastic experience, to develop as a player and a person also” said John O’Shea, ahead of the Euro 2016 showdown between Republic of Ireland and Belgium. “It’s a fond memory and part of my development.” 

The veteran defender, at the tail end of a stellar career which had yielded 10 major honours at Old Trafford, may have been preparing to captain his country in a huge fixture, but he was still able to reflect on his early years and the importance of a spell spent thriving amid the relationship between United and Royal Antwerp. 

The premise of the arrangement was simple: United’s young talents would spend time on loan at the Belgium club while enjoying senior playing time and the benefits of experiencing a different culture and style of play.

Between 1998 and 2014, 32 young Reds spent time in Antwerp, amassing invaluable know-how both as players and people, blossoming in an arrangement which came about entirely by chance. 

“Somewhere in the 1990s, our then-chairman met [United director] Maurice Watkins at a dinner in Madrid,” recalls Paul Bistiaux, Antwerp’s former club secretary and a key figure in the link-up. “At one point the discussion turned to the work permit situation for non-EU players in the UK, after which I was asked to write a paper on the Belgian legal situation. I was then invited to Manchester to discuss things further. 

“Shortly afterwards, United started to send over their people to assess our club, among others Les Kershaw and Jim Ryan, who both became fervent supporters of the scheme. The starting point for the initial conversation – exploring the possibility of placing foreign players at Royal Antwerp until they would qualify for a work permit in the UK – never materialised. But the boss [Sir Alex Ferguson], who was in the loop from day one, was convinced that young players could benefit enormously from a spell abroad, both in terms of football and general education. So the cooperation soon took the form of a system whereby United each season sent over a couple of promising youngsters who then had their first experience with first-team football in Belgium. They came as boys, but went back as men.” 

Few young Reds could lay claim to going through such a trying time as the very first United loanee to sample Belgian football: Danny Higginbotham. The Manchester-born defender had overcome a tough start to life in Antwerp to become a fixture in a side chasing promotion as the 1998/99 season came to a close. Higginbotham was joined by Reds team-mate Ronnie Wallwork midway through his stint.

Both players featured in a crunch play-off tie away to Louviere at the end of the campaign. The hosts scored a controversial injury-time winner which, according to Higginbotham, “was about five yards offside”, prompting a post-match melee in which referee Amand Ancion claimed to have been struck by both United youngsters. 

Though both Higginbotham and Wallwork were initially banned, a subsequent investigation disproved the validity of those claims and neither suffered any punishment. “At the time it happened I was petrified,” admits Bistiaux. “I was afraid it might kill off the project before it had time to develop. I went to Manchester to report and had a meeting with the boss [Ferguson] in his office at The Cliff. I explained to him what had happened as truthfully as I could. To my relief he was satisfied with my explanations, and the incident left no scars in our relationship. In fact, the common experience just made the clubs’ bond stronger.” 

That early challenge successfully overcome, a stream of players regularly began making the journey between Manchester and Antwerp. While being away from home, often as teenagers, was a purposely trying experience, United’s youngsters embraced the challenge. 

“Antwerp was probably my most enjoyable loan, as that was a similar style of football to what I was used to,” said winger Lee Martin, who embarked on six temporary moves during his time as a Red. “I blended in quite well as we wanted to pass and move as that’s what we were doing at United reserves. We benefited from that rather than going straight into the typical British way of playing. 

“It was also good as it made you grow up, having to go away from your family and experience something different, living in a hotel. Our only family was the four or five [fellow United] boys who were out there at the time so it made us grow up and really matured a lot of the boys early on.” 

“The difference between the reserves and first-team games is a feeling,” echoed defender Adam Eckersley. “In a first team, you’re someone important. You’re doing a job. You’re playing for points, for people’s livelihoods, for the manager’s job. We would get 6,000 or 7,000 people at Antwerp, rather than 300 down at Altrincham for United reserves. I saw my career as a ladder, and this was another step up the ladder.” 

Inevitably, being away from friends and family provided the loanees with a surfeit of free time. While Bistiaux says, with a smile, that the fledglings, “discovered the beautiful city, enjoyed the good Belgian food and occasionally went clubbing”, striker Fraizer Campbell admits there were hijinks in his time spent sharing a flat with Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson and Danny Simpson. 

“I remember one day we were bored, so we went to the equivalent of Toys R Us, got super soakers, water balloons and were just driving down the streets watering people from the car,” admits the former Reds striker. “Then we got a call from the manager saying: ‘What the hell are you doing?’ It didn’t help that we were driving a car with the team badge on the side. It all helped me grow, though. Some of my first experiences in life were out there.” 

While the development of individual players was key from United’s perspective, the collective fortunes of Antwerp was always the priority for the club’s supporters. To see talented young loanees giving their all for the collective cause ensured a special place in Antwerp hearts for a number of the young Reds. 

“Some players became very popular,” confirms Bistiaux. “Danny Higginbotham, Luke Chadwick – who helped us gain promotion in 1999/2000 – and Fraizer Campbell, to name just a few. I could also name Danny Simpson, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea, Kirk Hilton, Phil Bardsley and Ryan Shawcross. They were all very popular with the fans.” 

Sir Alex valued the relationship between the two clubs, and sent a full-strength team to Belgium for a 2005 friendly to mark Antwerp’s 125th anniversary.

Though the Reds ran out 6-1 winners, Bistiaux says: “The match was an absolute highlight in the long history of Royal Antwerp.” He adds: “There was some scepticism in Belgium as to the fact if United would send over its first team or reserves, but the manager had promised me long before he would come over with the first team so I personally was never in doubt. Of course, he was as good as his word, all the United stars of the era were playing and for our fans it was an incredible experience.” 

By that stage, Antwerp had suffered relegation to Belgium’s second tier.  By the time they had regained promotion to the top flight, in 2017, the link-up had drifted to a close, with Davide Petrucci’s 2014 stint in Antwerp representing the last loan between the two clubs. 

“Both clubs have moved on,” says Bistiaux. “Most people who were involved at the time, on both sides of the North Sea, have either retired or left. Also, the football industry has changed. That’s life.” 

Though Bistiaux is semi-retired these days, having brought his own 23-year association with Antwerp to an end in 2015, he still treasures the memories of the 16-year link between his club and United – none more than the influence of Antwerp on various successful careers. 

“I have many fond memories of the time, but let me quote this one,” he says. “My good friend John O’Shea was interviewed by Belgian TV before Ireland played Belgium. His first competitive game had been with us when we played away at Anderlecht. He said that his spell at Royal Antwerp – although hard at times – was the true start of his long career and was instrumental in him becoming a successful professional footballer. Now that’s a memory to cherish.”

REDS' ROYAL ROLL CALL

The 32 United players who represented Royal Antwerp between 1998 and 2014...

Danny Higginbotham
Ronnie Wallwork
Jamie Wood
Luke Chadwick
George Clegg
Kirk Hilton
John O’Shea
Jimmy Davis
Paul Rachubka
Alan Tate
Neil Wood
Phil Bardsley
Dong Fangzhuo
David Fox
Colin Heath
Eddie Johnson
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
Adam Eckersley
Ritchie Jones
Lee Martin
Danny Simpson
Fraizer Campbell
Jonny Evans
Darron Gibson
David Gray
Ryan Shawcross
Craig Cathcart
Michael Lea
John Cofie
Luke Giverin
Gyliano van Velzen
Davide Petrucci