Middlesbrough kept a small piece of breathing space between themselves and the Premier League trapdoor on Saturday with a 0-0 draw against Everton. Ronald Koeman will have been confident taking his Everton team to the Riverside, but they couldn’t get past Victor Valdes who was determined to keep a clean sheet.
Valdes made good saves to deny Romelu Lukaku, Ademola Lookman and Ross Barkley in a performance which saved a point for Middlesbrough and manager Aitor Karanka.
The goalkeeper has seen his display recognised by Gazzetta dello Sport. The grand old Italian newspaper pick a European Team of the Week every Monday, and Valdes has found his way in.
One of three Premier League players to get in the selection, it’s not the first time Valdes has been included this season.
In November, the Spaniard was chosen by Gazzetta after an excellent performance against Manchester City.
The 35 year old has a contract with Middlesbrough until June 2018 and he’s proven to be wise free signing by Karanka. Valdes had a difficult period with Manchester United, and his loan to Standard Liege didn’t go swimmingly either, but the gamble has certainly paid off for Middlesbrough.
