Aston Villa: Ritchie De Laet signs for Melbourne City on season loan

Aston Villa fullback Ritchie De Laet signs for A-League club Melbourne City on a season-long loan. The Belgian De Laet joins the same club Ross McCormack formerly spent time at.

The thin defensive ranks got, well, thinner.

Ritchie De Laet, forever struggling for playing time under Steve Bruce, is off to Australia for his second loan spell in two years. The former Belgium international is now a Melbourne City player – the same club Ross McCormack scored 14 goals for in 16 appearances last season. With De Laet, 29, Melbourne will be looking for a league title.

De Laet was in the final year of his deal with Aston Villa. This move effectively ends his career at the club. His final appearance was the embarrassing 1-0 loss to Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup. It’s tough to see a kind individual depart under such circumstances; and that’s how I would describe Ritchie’s time at the club: Tough.

De Laet was brought to the club under Robert Di Matteo as Alan Hutton’s replacement at right-back in the summer of 2016. He started well enough, but a devastating knee injury a few matches in eliminated his maiden Villa season. He spent much of last year rehabbing before a January loan move to Royal Antwerp in his native Belgium.

Under Bruce, De Laet never earned his chance at either fullback slot despite middling performance from incumbent starters.

With his departure, Villa are down to Ahmed Elmohamady, James Bree, Alan Hutton, and Axel Tuanzebe at right-back, James Chester, Mile Jedinak, and Tuanzebe at centre-back, with Hutton and Neil Taylor manning left-back. Bruce can barely afford two concurrent defender injuries from now until January.

Merci! et au revoir, Ritchie!