Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has broken his silence over the loan departure of defender Ritchie De Laet to Melbourne City.
The right-back has joined Australian outfit Melbourne City on loan for the season, but he did feature in two of Villa’s Carabao Cup ties against Yeovil Town and Burton Albion earlier in the campaign.
Bruce has now revealed why he allowed the 29-year-old enforcer leave Villa Park after he failed to cement a spot in the first team.
He has admitted that the club already have a number of right-backs vying for a spot in the starting 11, but that also he needed to adhere to Financial Fair Play restricitions.
“It’s been a frustratingly disappointing time for Ritchie. As we know he suffered a serious injury in his third game here,” he told Birmingham Live.
“I think with the people Ive got at right-back back when I think of Ahmed Elmohamady, James Bree, Alan Hutton, then it was only right I let him get on with his career.
“We would like transfer fees for some of this loans, but that wasn’t possible. However, it’s another one off the wagebill which, as I keep saying, with Financial Fair Play we have to adhere to.”
OPINION
De Laet – who stands at 6ft 1in [Transfermarkt] – featured heavily during Villa’s pre-season campaign, so it was somewhat of a surprise to see him depart Villa Park for a club Down Under. Many fans may feel that he has been served an injustice by Bruce, which is not far from the truth, as he was not given many chances to prove himself. However, it is hard not to agree with Bruce when he outlines why De Laet was allowed to leave on loan this season – after all, he already has plenty of right-backs to call upon, and he needs to abide by Financial Fair Play rules. Yes, De Laet could have been given more of an opportunity to show what he is about, but in a way, it is not Bruce’s fault that others have been ahead of him in the pecking order. He clearly does not feature in Bruce’s plans, so it was the nicer thing to just let him leave.