Antonio Valencia

At 38 years old, Antonio Valencia has this physical status:

Antonio Valencia, also known as Antonio Valencia, was born 4 August 1985; born as a right-sided player and later turned to a right-winger before shifting to a right-back.

Valencia became a first team regular and made over 80 appearances for the club after progressing through the youth system at El Nacional. He dominated the Ecuadorian Serie A with them before moving to Villarreal in La Liga in 2005. In between loan spells at Reccomfort and later English Premier League clubs Wigan Athletic from 2006 to 2008, he made two league appearances for the Spanish side. In January 2008, Wigan Athletic signed Valencia on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. His appearances for Wigan Athletic drew interest from a variety of high-profile clubs, eventually signing for Manchester United in June 2009. Valencia was named one of Ecuador's top players in his debut season with the club, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Shields, and the UEFA Europa League. Valencia returned to Ecuador in July 2019 after signing with LDU Quito, with whom he won the inaugural Copa Ecuador in his first season. In May 2021, he announced his retirement.

Valencia made his Ecuador debut in 2004 and has represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2011 Copa América, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Copa América Centenary, and the 2019 Copa América. Valencia won 99 caps and scored 11 goals for his country.

Early life

Valencia was born in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, on August 4th, 1985, just south of Nueva Loja, which is embedded in the Amazon rainforest. Valencia helped his mother sell alcohol outside the stadium of his hometown team, Lago Agrio, and would then search for empty bottles for his father to sell to a bottle-deposit in Quito's capital, Quito. Valencians used to play barefoot on the pitch next to his bungalow that he shared with his parents, five brothers, and sister.

As Valencia was 11 years old, scout Pedro Perlaza discovered him on a scorching field near his house and transferred him to the local FA-run sports academy in Sucumbos. Valencia did not inform his father that he left home to sign for El Nacional, the military-backed team in Quito, at the age of 16. Except his mother and his elder brother, Carlos Alfredo, who paid the fare for his eight-hour bus ride, no one knew about Valencia's decision. Valencia was born in central midfield and on a salary of 50 dollars per month.

Personal life

Domenica, Valencia and his partner, Zoila, was born during the 2006 World Cup. Valencia began learning English with former Wigan Athletic teammates Maynor Figueroa and Wilson Palacios. Although Wigan's English lessons would have been once a week, the boys were still daily as a result of their move to Manchester United. Valencia was described by former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as a quiet and shy child. Éder, his older brother, was also a professional footballer who played for Independiente José Terán in Ecuador.

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Club career

Valencia began his career at El Nacional and was fast-tracked to the under-20s, where he competed alongside striker Christian "Chucho" Bentez. Valencia made his El Nacional debut with his idol Édison Méndez. Valencia won his first club championship as part of the 2005 Clausura Tournament, earning him the attention of both the national team's coach and Spanish clubs alike.

Valencia departed to Villarreal, a Spanish club. After struggling to make it to the first team, the youngster was loaned to Recognito to gain some experience. Valencia helped Recreativo obtain promotion to La Liga as a result of the season's top of the standings.

Valencia joined Wigan Athletic, an English Premier League club, on a year-long loan contract from August 3rd. In a 2–1 loss to Newcastle United on September 19, he made his Wigan debut on August 19, 2006. In a 4–0 home win over Manchester City on October 21, 2006, his first goal for Wigan came in a 4–0 win. Valencia returned from a three-month absence as he played 78 minutes of a 2–0 home loss to Everton on January 21, 2007. During a 1-1 away draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, Valencia was sent off for the first time for Wigan. Wilfred Bouma was sent back in a straight red card for a two-footed tackle.

The loan was revolving into the following year, and on January 18, 2008, he transferred for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-and-a-half year contract. According to reports, the agreement was worth about £5 million. Valencia scored his first goal of the 2007-08 season in a 2–0 victory over Derby County on February 23, 2008, before scoring his first Wigan brace in a 2–0 away victory over Aston Villa on May 3, 2008.

Valencia's first goal of the following season came in Wigan's 5–0 away victory over Hull City on August 30th. In the 2–1 home victory over Manchester City on September 28, 2008, he scored a goal but the team was disqualified after losing 3–2 at Liverpool on October 18, 2008. Valencia scored his last goal for Wigan on December 13, 2008, when they defeated Blackburn Rovers 3–0. Valencia turned down the chance to join Real Madrid in January 2009, according to Wigan boss Steve Bruce. Valencia was banned from action for three weeks after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury on February 9, 2009. Dave Whelan, the Wigan chairman, revealed in early June 2009 that he would not order Valencia to remain at the club.

Valencia became Manchester United's first summer signing on June 30, 2009. Having shortened his holiday to obtain a medical with the club, he became Manchester United's first summer signing. He has been locked to a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, rumored to be in the region of £16 million.

In a 2–1 victory over Boca Juniors in the Audi Cup on July 29, he made his debut for United and scored his first goal in the process, netting United's second goal in the process. In the 2009 FA Community Shield, he made his competitive debut for Manchester United when he took on the injured Nani in the 62nd minute. In a 2–1 league victory over Bolton Wanderers on October 17, he scored his first competitive goal for the club. In a 1–0 away victory over CSKA Moscow, his first UEFA Champions League goal came four days later.

Valencia was responsible for Wayne Rooney's winning goal in the 2010 League Cup Final against Aston Villa on February 28, 2010 and was named player of the match by the United Nations' victory 2–1. Valencia was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on April 25, 2010, alongside teammates Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher, and Wayne Rooney.

Valencia scored United's first goal in their 3–1 victory over Chelsea in the 2010 Community Shield on August 8th. Valencia sustained a fractured left ankle against Rangers on September 14th in a Champions League match against Rangers. The morning after the match, his left ankle was fractured and dislocated, as well as ankle ligament damage, and his ankle ligaments were broken. Valencia returned to training with Manchester United's first squad on February 28th.

On March 12, 2011, he returned from injury to play against Arsenal in the FA Cup sixth round. As he scored the second leg of a 2–0 home win over Fulham on Monday, he scored his first league goal of the season. He scored the first goal in United's 4–1 victory over Schalke 04 in the second leg of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League's second leg, in which he was selected as Player of the Match. In the 2010-2011 season, he became the first Ecuadorian player to win a Premier League medal. Valencia was a starter in United's 3–1 loss to Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium.

Valencia agreed a new four-year contract with Manchester United on August 1st, retaining him at the club until the summer of 2015. Valencia sustained an ankle injury while overseas with Ecuador at the Copa América during the summer, ahead of the 2011–12 season. Due to the injury, he missed United's entire pre-season tour of the United States. Due to a lack of match fitness, he missed the first month of the season. Valencia got off to a good start of the season by defeating Benfica in the first group stage match of the UEFA Champions League. In the 3–1 victory over Chelsea on September 18, he returned to Premier League action, replacing the injured Chris Smalling at right-back. He then continued to play right-back in the next three games against Leeds United in the League Cup, away from Stoke City and home against Norwich City in the Premier League. Valencia scored his first goal of the season in their fourth round League Cup tie against Aldershot Town, who took the ball in the park's center and then turned and fired in from 25 yards to gain a 3–0 win.

Valencia scored his second goal of the season on the first goal in Manchester United's Champions League match against Oçelul Galați. The game ended 2–0. Valencia scored their fourth goal for Manchester United in a 5–0 home win over Wigan Athletic on December 26, 2011. He got the ball on the right hand edge of the penalty area and fired a shot across goal and into the far corner. Valencia scored the first goal against Arsenal with a header on January 22, 2012, before introducing Danny Welbeck to win the game 2–1. Valencia scored the first goal against Blackburn Rovers in 2–0 victory, blaming Paul Robinson and the far corner in his 100th appearance for the club in all competitions on April 2nd. Valencia scored Ashley Young's second goal five minutes later.

Valencia was named both the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and the Manchester United Player of the Year for his efforts in the 2011–12 seasons. He also received the Manchester United Goal of the Season award for his goal against Blackburn Rovers on April 2nd.

After Sir Alex Ferguson announced the number on Michael Owen's release from the club, it was announced on July 3rd that the number 7 shirt, worn by previous players, such as Johnny Berry, Steve Coppell, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo was released. Nick Powell, Valencia's current teammate, was given the number 25 shirt.

Valencia scored his first league goal of the season on April 17 against West Ham United. Valencia gained his second Premier League title after beating Aston Villa 3–0 in a 3–0 home win on April 22nd.

Valencia reverted to his former number 25 shirt after an indifferent 2012-2013 season wearing the number 7 shirt. Valencia started the season off with a goal against Sevilla in Rio Ferdinand's testimonial at Old Trafford on September 9, 2013. Valencia then appeared in the Community Shield against Wigan as a replacement for Wilfried Zaha in the 62nd minute. Valencia opened the Champions League campaign with a goal against Bayer Leverkusen on September 4th in a 4–2 home win, as well as giving Robin van Persie an assist for the first on the night on September 18, 2013. On November 2, 2013, he scored his first goal of the Premier League season against Fulham, the first in a 3–1 away victory. Valencia scored the first goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League group stage on Saturday, November 27. Valencia defeated Swansea City 2-0 in the 47th minute on January 11, 2014, defeating them 2–0 home wins. He signed a three-year contract extension on June 21, 2014, which included the option to extend the contract until June 2018.

Valencia was sent by new boss Louis van Gaal in both the right-back and right-wing back positions, where he had briefly appeared under both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes. He made his first appearance in this role on Saturday, assisting Juan Mata in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland.

Valencia sustained a foot injury in a 0–0 draw with Manchester City on October 25, which required surgery and kept him out for at least four months. He made his return to Liverpool in the Europa League Round of 16 second leg against Liverpool on March 17, 2016, resulting in a 1–1 draw. Valencia played the full 120 minutes at right-back in the 2016 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace, which won 2–1 after extra time.

On January 17, 2017, Valencia United announced a one-year deal, keeping him at the club until 2018. Valencia defeated Middlesbrough 3-1 on 19 March 2017, scoring in injury time after goalkeeper Vctor Valdés slipped. His deal with the club was extended until June 2019, with the option to renew for a further year on May 26, 2017, two days after captaining United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final. Valencia defeated Everton 4–0 on September 17, 2017, kicking him out of the season on the 17th of the season in a 20-yard half volley. Valencia captained the team in his 300th appearance as Manchester United defeated Liverpool 0–0. Valencia returned to action after being ruled out for four weeks due to a hamstring injury in a 3–0 home win over Stoke City in January 2018.

Valencia will be the club's first captain at the start of the 2018-19 season and after Michael Carrick's departure, Manchester United's manager José Mourinho revealed Valencia will be the club's first captain. Manchester United's decision to prolong Valencia's deal by an additional year came to an end in March 2019, bringing an end to his 10-year association with the club as his deal came to an end in June. Valencia has left Manchester United with 325 Premier League appearances, which is a record for a South American player.

LDU Quito, a Manchester United player, has been released after being released on a free transfer to Valencia. In a 1–0 victory over América de Quito in the Ecuadorian Serie A, he made his debut for the club on July 18, 2019.

Valencia joined Querétaro, Mexico, on a free transfer on November 27, 2020.

Valencia announced his retirement from professional football on May 2021.

International career

In 2004, he made his senior international debut for Ecuador.

In a 5–2 World Cup qualifying win over Paraguay, he scored his first two international goals on March 27th. He scored again in a qualifying match three days later, this time netting in a 2–2 draw away from Peru. Valencia participated in all of Ecuador's 2006 FIFA World Cup games and was selected as a candidate for FIFA's best 11 squad, which honors the top players for every position in the World Cup. He was also selected as one of the six candidates for the Gillette Best Young Player award. Valencian voters were encouraged by an email widely distributed in England to discourage Cristiano Ronaldo from winning, in an attempt to discourage Cristiano Ronaldo from winning. Valencia received the most votes in the online poll, but the award was eventually given to Lukas Podolski, who was chosen by a combination of the fan vote and a judging panel.

Valencia scored Ecuador's first goal of their 2007 Copa América campaign on June 27, 2007, but the team lost the match 3–2 to Chile and finished last in the tournament. During a 1–0 victory over Chile in a World Cup qualifier, Valencia received their first red card for Ecuador on October 12, 2008. Valencia scored his first 2010 World Cup qualification goal, netting in a 3–1 away victory over Bolivia on September 9, 2009. He scored for the second qualifier in a row on October 10, 2009, this time netting Ecuador's single goal in a 2–1 loss to Uruguay.

He suffered a sprained left ankle during a match against Paraguay at the 2011 Copa América on July 3rd. He was forced to leave at halftime.

Valencia was selected in Ecuador's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in June 2014. He captained the team to a 2–2 draw with England at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami in preparation for a preparation match. He was fouled by Raheem Sterling during the game and retaliated by shoving Sterling and grabbing him by the throat. Referee Jair Marrufo had the opportunity to trade both Valencia and Sterling. Valencia later apologised for his retaliation. Valencia captained La Tri in all three of their games at the World Cup, but Lucas Digne was suspended for a foul foul foul against him during their last game against France, a goalless draw at the Maracan that resulted in his team's disqualification.

Valencia was forced to postpone the 2015 Copa América in Chile due to an urgent ankle injury. He was selected in Ecuador's 2016 Copa América Centenario squad, and he scored in Ecuador's 4–0 victory over Haiti at MetLife Stadium on June 12, 2016.

Career statistics

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