For almost a decade now links between Manchester United and Royal Antwerp have been close. Which Royal Antwerp fan does not remember the exploits of Danny Higginbotham, the promotion winning performance of Luke Chadwick, or more recently the skill and pace of Lee Martin ? Isn’t it always a proud moment to hear John O’Shea state – being for several years now a steady force in United ‘s first team – that his professional career really got started at Royal Antwerp where he had his first taste of competitive football ? The most visible highlight of the friendship between both clubs was of course the 125 years celebration game played at Bosuil Stadium on August 3, 2005. On a perfect day, a full house watched United ‘s world stars take on the local reds.