Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera

[Riskur]

ANTONIO VALENCIA EXTENDS CONTRACT

Manchester United is delighted to announce that Antonio Valencia has signed a contract which will keep him at the club until June 2019, with the option to extend for a further year.

Valencia, 31, signed for United on 30 June 2009. During his time at the club he has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Europa League and three Community Shields.

Antonio Valencia said:

"Manchester United has been my life since 2009 and I am absolutely delighted to have signed a new contract. Wednesday evening provided the one trophy this club had never won and it was a true honour for me to captain the team for the final. I would like to thank the Manager for the confidence he has given me this season and I am sure that we will be challenging on all fronts next season. I would also like to say a big thank you to my family, my team-mates and, of course, the fans, for their amazing support."

José Mourinho said:

"It is no secret that I had been an admirer of Antonio’s long before I joined the club. I knew what a fantastic player he was and he has not disappointed me on that front. However, what I could never have imagined was what a great person he is. I know I have said this before but I truly believe it is a real privilege for us to have such a good player and such a good man. I am delighted he has extended his contract."

https://s24.postimg.org/dy0b93mud/BF...05_B7_A6_A.jpg

[Andi Istiabudi]

Mudah-mudahan Valencia pensiun di United.
Btw, Valencia salah satu pemain skuad Sir Alex di United yang masih tersisa nih...

[Andi Istiabudi]

VALENCIA'S TOP FIVE ACHIEVEMENTS AT UNITED

As part of our focus on Antonio Valencia, the club's staggeringly dependable right-back, we shine a light on his five outstanding achievements with Manchester United...

5: EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL CAPTAIN

With Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick on the bench, Valencia captained United throughout the triumphant 2-0 win over AFC Ajax in Stockholm, Sweden. It was recognition of the Ecuadorian’s experience and standing within the club at the climax of his eighth season, as well as Jose Mourinho's continued admiration (the boss tried to sign him with former club Real Madrid).

While defensive tasks were few and far between against a frustrated Dutch side, Antonio appeared to relish the responsibility of captaincy and impressed during his 90-minute display. Graciously, he passed the armband to Rooney upon the club skipper's late introduction and allowed him to lift the trophy alone.

Only two days later, Tony V tellingly inked a new contract and said: “Wednesday evening provided the one trophy this club had never won and it was a true honour for me to captain the team for the final. I would like to thank the manager for the confidence he has given me this season.”

4: PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Recognition from your peers is among the finest honours in football and Valencia’s 2016/17 Players’ Player of the Year award must therefore rank highly in his career. The 31-year-old made 43 appearances and scored one goal in the campaign, yet those statistics do not tell the whole story.

The former Wigan Athletic winger was the personification of consistency, always producing a seven out of 10 display at least, while providing much-needed reliability in an ever-changing defence. The 21 games (from 64) that he missed were mainly due to Mourinho resting him for bigger occasions.

“Antonio has been so dependable,” said previous Players' Player of the Year winner Chris Smalling. “Not just in an attacking sense, but also when he's defending. Any winger or striker that comes up against him has to get around him. That means they have to be stronger or quicker than him, and neither of those is easy!”

3: AWARDS HAT-TRICK

Valencia took home the three major awards from the 2011/12 awards night after a stellar campaign in Sir Alex Ferguson’s penultimate year as boss. The fans and players voted him as their top man, with supporters also declaring his venomous strike at Blackburn Rovers as the Goal of the Season. Sir Alex also praised the award-winner, saying: “The form he's produced since coming back from injury has been amazing. He's a great professional and he has the qualities that we love in our game.”

2: RETURN FROM INJURY

On 16 September 2010, Valencia broke his leg and fractured an ankle during a Champions League group-stage game against Glasgow Rangers at Old Trafford. It was widely reported that he would miss the rest of the season, but that absence estimate clearly overlooked his miraculous spirit.

To the shock and awe of every United supporter, he returned on 12 March as a substitute in a 2-0 home win against Arsenal and team-mate Rooney was delighted. “I can't tell you how good it is to see him back out there,” Wayne told us that day. “It was Antonio's first game back after six months out and he looked like he'd never been away. It’s fantastic for him to be back playing so soon.”

Valencia tallied another 15 appearances, helping to win our 19th Premier League title and starting the European Cup final. To suffer two serious leg injuries in one hit, yet return as a better athlete, is a feat which beggars belief and marks him out as a curiosity in the kindest possible sense.

1: WINGER TO RIGHT-BACK

Back in September 2011, eyebrows were raised when Sir Alex fielded Valencia at right-back for the first-ever time in a League Cup tie at Leeds United, but nobody is confused to see him in defence now. In fact, he is among the finest players in his position following a detailed education under a variety of managers.

Yes, while learning the tactical and positional nuances of being a top-level defender, Antonio has often called upon the insurance of his staggering pace and power. With arms the size of legs and legs akin to tank tread, he is a physical specimen the like of which Old Trafford has seldom seen.

It’s that rare blend of attributes that sets Valencia apart among modern full-backs and his fine form has prompted Jose Mourinho to say: "I just think Antonio is the best you can have. There is no better right-back in football." Tellingly, the manager has already sanctioned two contract extensions for him - one in January, another in May - the future looks bright for the "best right-back in football".

Reinventing himself so successfully represents, for us, the greatest achievement of Antonio Valencia's United career.

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

ANTONIO VALENCIA'S UNITED STORY SO FAR

Antonio Valencia has developed into one of the world's top right-backs since joining Manchester United from Wigan Athletic as a winger in 2009.

The Ecuador international is now among the longest-serving players in the Reds' dressing room but he shows no sign of slowing down after eight years of service. He had one of his best campaigns for the club in 2016/17, with a series of consistent displays in defence earning him the Players' Player of the Year accolade. Valencia also finished as runner-up to Ander Herrera for the main award voted for by United fans.

After he signed a minimum two-year contract extension in May, there's the promise of even more to come from Valencia when 2017/18 gets under way. But before the big kick-off comes around, we're taking a look back at his United story so far, season by season...

2009/10 SEASON (49 GAMES, 6 GOALS)

Having turned down Spanish giants Real Madrid in favour of a move to Old Trafford, Valencia immediately became a key player for United under Sir Alex Ferguson. Antonio had notched seven goals in three seasons at Wigan and he weighed in with six goals from the right wing - including one against his former club - during an impressive maiden campaign with the Reds.

2010/11 SEASON (20 GAMES, 3 GOALS)

Hopes that his superb debut season could be replicated were dashed when Valencia suffered a serious ankle injury in United's Champions League game against Rangers in September 2010. However, he made a breathtaking return to fitness and form within six months, playing a vital role as the Reds regained the Premier League title. He later started his first Champions League final, as United were beaten by Barcelona.

2011/12 SEASON (38 GAMES, 6 GOALS)

Valencia's third season at Old Trafford was probably his best as an attacking player, with his excellence on the right wing being rewarded with a hat-trick of awards at the club's end-of-season dinner. He was voted Player of the Year by both the fans and his colleagues, and he also collected the Goal of the Season prize for a tremendous strike against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Sadly there were to be no team honours for Antonio and co as Manchester City pipped United to the league title on the final day of the season.

2012/13 SEASON (40 GAMES, 1 GOAL)

In the summer of 2012, Antonio inherited the famous no.7 shirt, marking another step forward in his rise to prominence. Though his consistency dipped slightly throughout the course of the season, Valencia recaptured top form just at the right time, playing a key role in vital wins at Stoke City and West Ham United to help recapture the Premier League title in April.

2013/14 SEASON (44 GAMES, 4 GOALS)

The following season was not quite as productive for the Ecuadorian, who had reverted to the no.25 shirt, as the Reds endured a tough campaign under new manager David Moyes. While it would generally be a season to forget for the team, Valencia's season finished positively on a personal note as he signed a new contract with United and received a call-up for Ecuador's World Cup squad.

2014/15 SEASON (35 GAMES, 0 GOALS)

Another new manager meant a new role for Valencia as Louis van Gaal took charge at United. Sir Alex first seriously noted the winger’s defensive potential just three months into his first season at Old Trafford, and Antonio ended the 2014/15 campaign with 13 successive starts at right-back, admitting: “I quite enjoy it, I’m happy there.”

2015/16 SEASON (22 GAMES, 0 GOALS)

Just as Valencia was coming to terms with his new role, he was dealt a double blow in 2015/16 with the arrival of defender Matteo Darmian from Torino and a foot injury which ruled him out for over four months. In spite of those factors, plus the emergence of Tim Fosu-Mensah, Valencia ended the campaign with a dozen starts, all at right-back. These appearances included the FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace, when Jesse Lingard’s winner stemmed from Antonio’s powerful work down the right.

2016/17 SEASON (43 GAMES, 1 GOAL)

Guided by his fourth United manager, Jose Mourinho, Valencia was resurgent in 2016/17 and enjoyed one of his finest seasons at the club. With his transformation from winger to right-back now complete, Antonio was arguably the Reds' most consistent performer, and was named captain for the Europa League final against Ajax. The defender was later voted Players' Player of the Year by his team-mates, having won the club's Player of the Month award on three occasions during the campaign, and he signed a contract extension at the end of May to keep him at the club until at least June 2019 - the 10th anniversary of his arrival.

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

WHY UNITED FANS LOVE ANTONIO VALENCIA

Antonio Valencia was the subject of praise from players, pundits and managers alike during his standout season for Manchester United in 2016/17.

As part of ManUtd.com's three-day focus on the Ecuadorian, we invited United fans to have their say on our Players' Player of the Year and specifically tell us what they consider to be his best quality.

Valencia, who almost pipped Ander Herrera to the fan-voted Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, is clearly popular among the Reds faithful. Within an hour of us posting a request for comments on Twitter and Instagram, we had garnered more than 1,500 and here's a selection of our favourite replies:

TWITTER

@ThatDayinMay99 - "He's just a brilliant athlete. He can run up and down that right wing like it's no-one's business. He's been doing it so successfully for so long."

@JustManUtd18 - "Determination and impeccable work ethic. He leads by example."

@P9Pranav - "His passion for Manchester United... he's the perfect team man!"

@LinTheLove - "The sheer power in his runs when bursting forward. His delivery has been very good, too."

@MUFCFlash - "He always gives 200 per cent to the team. He plays for the team and his hard work and great work ethic make him unstoppable!"

@SizzleAlex - "Great understanding of the game, vision, work ethic - it goes on! We love him."

@SimplyRashf0rd - "His attacking ability. He can change the speed of a game in an instant. It's always a good sign seeing Tony fly down the wing."

@Kabhinav08 - "He is a machine, he owns the right wing and can run up and down all day long. His transition from winger to full-back has been amazing."

@BassiHD - "Best right-back in the world! Hardest-working player on the team alongside Ander Herrera."

@DanyalNaidu - "Commitment, perserverance, never-say-die attitude. A warrior."

INSTAGRAM

@StephenDeanPearce - "Strength, work-rate, tenacity, speed. No-one better in the Premier League for it. He's a United legend in my eyes."

@QuongBear - "His ability to take people on during an attack. He's a fantastic crosser of the ball and contributes with assists."

@Shivesh_Ramchandani - "A footballer that doesn't throw tantrums. A good quality footballer with his feet on the ground. My favourite player."

@PeterBushell87 - "His love for the badge on his shirt and commitment to the club. Looks like he's taken a leaf out of Patrice Evra's book - United through and through."

@Iamraghavarova - "Valencia's biggest quality is his discipline, which makes him better each day."

@Rajdeep.Jain_ - "His humility towards his opponents. He never undermines or underestimates them. His phenomenal work-rate, too."

@Yyyyearn - "Passion and spirit, agility and speed. He's a positive role model for the younger players in the squad to aspire to."

@ItzRavs - "He never gives up. He runs with the ball down the wing like it's his first professional game; amazing speed and stamina, even today!"

@FergusCafferty - "I'll tell you what his strength is... his strength!"

@AV1127 - "Not many wingers like to defend, but he could honestly play both positions. Overall, his best quality is his reading of the game and knowing how to be useful every time he's on the pitch."

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

VALENCIA: THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HAD

Manchester United Players' Player of the Year Antonio Valencia recently answered some quickfire questions for the club's official magazine Inside United.

The popular right-back, who is approaching his ninth season with the Reds, revealed the best advice he has ever received, identified his finest moment in football and pinpointed his greatest team-mate.

Best player you've played alongside?
"Scholesy [Paul Scholes]."

Best player you've played against?
"Frank Lampard."

Best team you've played against?
"Bayern Munich."

Best goal you've scored?
"My goal against Blackburn Rovers [in April 2012]."

Best goal you've seen?
"Wayne Rooney's overhead kick against Manchester City."

Best match you've played in?
"All of the games I've played in!"

Best moment?
"When we won the Premier League title in 2013."

Best friend in football?
"Cisne [Geovanny] Nazareno in Ecuador."

Best advice you have had?
"My father always told me to keep fighting and never lose heart."

www.manutd.com

[zudomiriku]

Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia apologises for poor challenge which earned him red: 'The boy wound me up, I hope it doesn’t happen again'

* Antonio Valencia was sent off for a poor tackle in the clash with Real Salt Lake
* The Manchester United defender challenged Sebastian Saucedo from behind
* Valencia admitted Saucedo wound him up after his own tackle on Juan Mata
* The referee and Real's coach both asked Jose Mourinho to substitute Valencia

Antonio Valencia has apologised for the tackle that saw him sent off during Manchester United’s win over MLS club Real Salt Lake in Utah.

The Ecuador defender was shown a red card for a challenge on Real’s Sebastian Saucedo after American referee Allen Chapman told United boss Jose Mourinho to take off Valencia or have him sent off.

When Mourinho refused, Chapman dismissed Valencia more than two minutes after he had committed the offence. It was retribution for Saucedo’s challenge on Juan Mata, and what Mourinho described as the midfielder’s aggressive approach.

However, Valencia has accepted the blame, saying: ‘It was my fault. I hope that it doesn’t happen in an important competition like the Premier League or the Champions League. It was a friendly, I want to apologise to the fans and my team. I hope it will not happen in the future.

‘It was my mistake. The boy was very excited and he wound me up a bit and I hope it doesn’t happen in the future.’

Mata left the Rio Tinto Stadium with a swollen ankle and is a doubt for the Manchester derby in Houston in the early hours of Friday.


Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia was sent off for fouling Sebastian Saucedo

After the game, Mourinho confirmed that he ignored the referee’s request to take off Valencia, saying: ‘I think the delay was because the referee asked me to change the player and I didn’t because I don't agree with the card because Saucedo, I think is the name of the boy, was really aggressive in second half.

'That’s what happens. Some other actions were a bit dangerous. It’s young people with enthusiasm playing against Manchester United but it’s a friendly match and it’s a different mentality.

'But it’s pre-season so no problem. It is good experience for us to play with one player less.’

Real coach Mike Petke also asked Mourinho to withdraw Valencia before it was too late because he didn’t want his team to play against 10 men.

‘I walked halfway across towards the Man United bench,’ said Petke. ‘That was to tell them I'd like them to put somebody back on. I don't want to play a man up.

‘I want my guys to get a real game against one of the best in the world, so if he feels that way he has got a hell of a lot more experience than me.

‘He has won a hell of a lot more than me, so he's probably right but I am little irrational.

‘I don't think there was an intent with the Mata thing and I think that was a red card with what happened with Valencia – with all due respect to my mentor and my favourite manager, Mourinho.

‘I'll say this, Sebastian he got hit pretty hard a couple of times and I don't know if the Mata situation happened before.

‘I can tell you my opinion is that, having coached him and knowing him on a personal level, there was no intent. He was just playing hard.

‘It would be like if the New York Yankees went anywhere around the world and played another team. The team would play extremely hard. If the Golden State Warriors went over to Europe, every team would be playing hard. It's their championship, their World Cup.

‘So perhaps that is what some of our guys (were like). I know it wasn't intent from Sebastian whatsoever.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4712378/Man-United-defender-Antonio-Valencia-apologises-tackle.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

VALENCIA PREVIEWS 2017/18 WITH INSIDE UNITED

The 2017/18 season will bring up a big milestone for Antonio Valencia. With 292 Manchester United appearances under his belt going into the Premier League campaign, the buccaneering full-back will soon hit the 300 mark, the preserve of Reds servants only of a certain standing.

But when sitting down with Inside United during the club’s pre-season tour in the USA, it was clear that Antonio won’t be focusing on personal achievements, impressive as that 300-mark may be. No, the thing that motivates him is simple: winning trophies. It’s a theme he returns to time and again during our chat, and it’s abundantly clear that it’s the silver stuff that keeps his fires burning.

Valencia already has nine trophies as a United player, but going into his ninth season he desperately wants to increase that haul. And as he told us in the States, he has strong belief that the club is in shape to challenge on all trophy fronts, with Jose Mourinho’s ideas and methods firmly embedded, and extra firepower added to what was already a powerful, confident and motivated squad.

“The confidence is very good,” he states. “We won three trophies last season and we want more this time around. Everybody had a good break and we have come back with renewed determination. Our training in the US was hard, but we are all together and want to achieve more success this season.”

Romelu Lukaku is the man who has bolstered that forward line the most and the Belgium international is quickly making a big impact on his team-mates, primarily due to his scoring form in pre-season and sharp performances in training. Furthermore, the summer signing’s hulking frame has also caught the eye and the similarly tank-like Valencia is humbled by such size and power.

“Lukaku has done a great job with the clubs that he has been at,” Antonio says. “I am a kid next to Romelu! [Laughs] He truly is strong. I have seen him work on the field and in the gym. It’s truly incredible to see his strength, power and the intelligence he possesses. We hope it is a good year for him and the team.”

Having faced Lukaku many times in the Premier League before, and trained with him for the last six weeks, Valencia is certain in his response when asked if Romelu is a defender’s worst nightmare.

“Definitely,” the 31-year-old explains with a knowing smile. “He is strong, but he also has good movement around the field and if I am playing as a defender then I would not like to play against him!”

The big question, of course, is not about winning football matches or trophies, but who would win in an arm wrestle between Valencia and Lukaku! “I think he would,” Antonio concedes. “He is too strong!”

www.manutd.com

[delongedee]

Musim ini kayanya vice kapten akan lebih sering jadi starter daripada sang kapten ni..

[Riskur]

How does Antonio Valencia want to improve?
Consistent is a word that perfectly describes Antonio Valencia's performances on the pitch, but the experienced Manchester United right-back humbly accepts there is always room for improvement in his game. This season, as the Ecuadorian recently explained to Inside United, our South American powerhouse plans to work harder on using his weaker left foot.

The 31-year-old spoke to our monthly magazine during the pre-season tour of America for an in-depth interview in the September edition, which is still available to order online.

After discussing the club’s ambition to win the Premier League title under Jose Mourinho, the honour he feels when wearing the captain’s armband and his early impressions of Romelu Lukaku, Valencia spoke honestly about his own plans to develop throughout his ninth season with the Reds.

“There is always something to improve on and, this season, I will try to be better with my left foot,” Antonio explained. “I will shoot more, try to do more with it and I hope, this year, I can achieve this. Overall, I just wish to be better and, God willing, things will go the right way for me and for the team.”

The UEFA Champions League is also a trophy that is on Valencia’s radar this season, now that United are back in the elite competition following last campaign’s Europa League success. As you may have already read, the Reds have been drawn in Group A alongside CSKA Moscow, Benfica and FC Basel.


While nobody at United is getting ahead of themselves, the defender hopes to go a long way in Europe this season. “There is an excitement about being back in the competition,” he told us.


“I miss the Champions League song and the timing of the game, plus the whole environment and what it is like to play a Champions League match. We are back and we are hoping to do a good job.


"We hope we can win it. That is the objective. When you play in an important competition like that, you just want to win. Right now, we are taking it step by step, phase by phase. Hopefully we can achieve that.”

www.manutd.com