Antonio Valencia’s career at Manchester United is still a great source of pride in Ecuador.
Every time local outlets make an interview with him, they make sure to point out that the player served the Red Devils for ten years, having won multiple titles.
El Comercio features today a nice story with the 34-year-old.
With English football about to come back, Valencia was looking forward to get some of it on TV, as he wanted to watch Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal.
“It was 14 years in England, where I learned a lot, grew a lot and made great friends. For this reason, when I returned to the country, it was difficult for me to watch the Premier League matches; the nostalgia used to win me”, Valencia told El Comercio.
“As the nostalgia passed, I started to watch more of the team’s games. Always encouraging from here my ex-teammates and the great fans.”
“There are Pogba, there’s Lingard, Rashford, players whom I have known since they were little. Now they are consolidated and it’s always a pride to see them on the pitch.”
Now with Manchester United about to face Tottenham Hotspur, Valencia says he has some special affection for Friday’s opponents.
“Why do I like Spurs? Because of José Mourinho. He’s a manager whom I admire and from whom I learned many things. When I left the Premier I thanked him for everything and we have a good relationship.”
And instead of games against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, Valencia says he used to enjoy opponents like Sheffield United.
“It’s a matter of taste. In those games I enjoy more, they draw my attention more.”
Antonio Valencia joined Manchester United on a £18m deal from Wigan in the summer of 2017. First as a winger and then as a fullback, he made 339 appearances for the club, and left last summer on a free move to LDU.
