“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.