Antonio Valencia

Antonio Valencia is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding right-backs in the history of the Premier League. An excellent player for Manchester United.

676

Games

Goals

Assists

Trophies

2003/05 El Nacional (ECU) 88 games, 12 goals

2005/08 Villareal CF (SPA) 2 games

2006 Recreativo Huelva (SPA) (Loan) 12 games

2006/08 Wigan Athletic (ENG) (Loan) 37 games, 1 goal

2008/09 Wigan Athletic (ENG) 52 games, 6 goals

2009/19 Manchester United (ENG) 339 games, 25 goals

2019/20 LDU Quito (ECU) 32 games, 1 goal

2021 Querétaro FC (MEX) 15 games, 1 goal

With the National Team :

99 caps, 11 goals

(Friendly matches: 36 caps, 3 goals)

(World Cup Qualifiers: 45 caps, 6 goals)

(Copa America: 11 caps, 2 goals)

(World Cup: 7 caps)

1st cap: April 28, 2004 vs. Honduras (1-1)

Last cap: June 25, 2019 vs. Japan (1-1)

Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera

Born August 4, 1985 in Nueva Loja (ECU)

Ecuadorian, Right-back, Right winger, Right midfielder, 1m80

Nickname: Tono Maravilla

From Ecuador to England via Spain

Antonio Valencia was born on August 4, 1985 in Nueva Loja, Ecuador. He began his career with the club CD El Nacional in his native country before leaving at the age of 20 to go abroad, to Spain to be precise. He joined Villareal but did not establish himself in the squad and went on several loans to Recreativo Huelva and Wigan Athletic.

It was during this last loan that he finally found a club in Europe where he could establish himself and where he signed permanently to reach a total of 89 matches. Playing mainly as a right winger or right midfielder, Valencia will flourish in England and catch the eye of Manchester United who recruit him in 2009.

From right-winger to right-back

A winger who already had very good physical and defensive qualities, playing as a right midfielder upon his arrival in Manchester, Valencia had a very good season, 49 matches, 7 goals and 13 assists. With Manchester United, he won the League Cup 2-1 against Aston Villa on February 28, 2010 and had a very good match, providing an assist on Wayne Rooney's winning goal. He ended up being voted man of the match in the final.

His 2010/11 season will be more complicated, the player is twice the victim of an ankle injury, which costs him a total of 252 days' absence. Conversely, his 2011/12 season and his return were exceptional, he took back his starting place in the squad and had a season with 38 matches, 6 goals and 15 assists, enough to earn him the title of best passer of the club and best player of the season at Manchester United.

Valencia will then wear the legendary number 7 of the greatest legends of Manchester United. He will have a few less prolific seasons before finally being moved back to the right-back position during the 2014/15 season. A position where he will adapt perfectly.

Unfortunately for him, the player will be injured several times during his career, drastically limiting his number of matches played, he finds a full season during the 2016/17 where he is one of the best players of the Manchester club, 43 matches, 1 goal and 6 assists.

End of career in America

In 2019, he finally left Manchester United after 10 years at the club to return to Ecuador at LDU Quito and end his career in Mexico at Querétaro FC, at the age of 36.

His career with Ecuador was long, between 2004 and 2019, he had the opportunity to wear his country's jersey 99 times. He participated in the 2006 and 2014 World Cups, but within a small nation, there were no great feats. But Valencia will forever remain as one of the greatest legends in the history of his country.