Antonio Valencia's Farewell Message...

pocco

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Keep a clean shit tomorrow, United is my final bus
If somebody had told me, when I was just a kid in Ecuador, that I would spend nearly 10 years as a Manchester United player, I would have told them it was impossible.

I grew up with my parents and my six brothers and sisters in a small, wooden house in Lago Agrio. Very modest. It was full of joy, but we knew that the reality outside it was different. It was quite a tough childhood in the respect that we didn’t have the resources to get by. My Dad and six brothers and sisters fought hard to bring home food to the house. My Mum also fought really hard too, to get us the things we needed, like food and education.

My family and my town are full of hard-working people with fighting spirit. Because of the oil industry there, there was work, so my Dad always worked, so did my brothers and sisters when they were old enough. In order to help out financially at home, I joined my other siblings picking up bottles and collecting them over a period of months so we could then sell them. I was a fighter too.

That’s what it’s like when you live in a little town where people are needy: it can be a little sad at times and everyone has to struggle hard to scrape a living. We fought hard so we could struggle through every day, it wasn’t easy. That’s how it is.

Don’t get me wrong - there were also happy and joyful moments spent playing and sharing with my brothers and sisters. It was like a kind of fifty-fifty childhood, if you like: half the time happy and half the time sad. But that’s life! Not everyone is born with the same luck.

Not everyone, for example, was lucky enough to have a huge football pitch right in front of their house, like I did.

Lago Agrio, the local team, played their games there and not only would we always go and watch them play, we would also play on the pitch whenever we could. Virtually every afternoon and evening we’d be there, dividing the huge pitch up into small-sided games. We’d play seven-a-side until 10pm or 11pm, and most of the time either they would turn the lights off to make us finish playing, or my Mum would come over cracking the whip, telling us to pack it in and come home.

So we played a lot of football and, thanks to God, I was given the chance to make a career in the game.

Thanks also go to a friend of mine called Cabeza.

When I was 14, I told Cabeza that I wanted to go and try out at Nacional, one of the biggest clubs in Ecuador. Nacional is a team based in the capital city, Quito, which is over 250 kilometres from Lago Agrio. Cabeza said it was fine, he would take me, so he very kindly took me all the way to Quito. My first trial was with the Under 16s, and after three sessions the coach decided to take me on. He gave me all my kit and my board in a building where all the other young players were sleeping too. So that’s where my career really started out.

That’s also when I started to become more aware of Manchester United. I started to watch them because of the Latin American presence at that time with players like Verón and Forlan. So I used to follow United’s progress more and more and saw that they were winning trophies with increasing regularity. I was beginning to see what the club was all about.

When I started out in football, I wanted to play professionally for a team in my country, then try to make the Ecuador national team. After I managed to achieve those two goals, it became my dream to come and play in Europe.

Then, after I ended up at Wigan via Spain, my aim was just to work hard and then maybe a big club like United might come knocking.

When that happened, as soon as I arrived at Manchester United, I said to myself:

This is my club.

This is my home.

I want to continue here for many years to come.

Then, when I started training, I was full of nerves. When I saw all the top players around me, I couldn’t see myself lasting two years in that company!

In one of my early days at the club, Edwin van der Sar sat me down and said to me: “This is Manchester United and this is the way we play. Win or lose, the following day you have to keep on working and training hard. It’s a team with a winning mentality.”

Then our coach, Rene Meulensteen, told me: “This is United and you have to work hard and you have to win. This is a club that wins trophies.”

I said to myself: “I like the look of this. I have to train hard and fight hard.”

Like I said, I’ve been a fighter all my life.

My family had to fight to get by in Lago Agrio. I had to fight to get by at Nacional, hitchhiking to the training ground. I had to fight to earn enough money to feed myself as a teenager.

Fighting is no problem.

So I did that. Kept working, kept training hard, and I could see that every day, every game I was improving all the time. I was gradually settling into life at this club with the winning mentality.

I thought to myself: “I’m going to stay here for a while more yet and let them give another contract!”

Here I am, almost 10 years on, with so many memories from my years here. I think of all the trophies I have won with the team, all the great games where we’ve been behind and then come back and won them. These are moments that will never leave either my heart or my head.

It might be strange to some, but one game that really stands out in my memory is a Champions League game against Bayern Munich. It was at Old Trafford in my first season and we’d lost 2-1 in the first leg, so we knew we had to go out there and win, but it’s the mood in the dressing room which sticks with me as much as the game itself.

I remember Rio and Patrice were encouraging us all, saying: “We’ve got to win this game for our fans, for our families.” Then we spent about 40 minutes before the game, warming up, preparing ourselves, putting on our strapping and stuff, and then walking out onto the pitch and you could see around the place that everyone was up for this one and fully focused.

So we went out there and we were 2-0 up within 10 minutes, then 3-0 up just before half-time. I made two assists, had one of my best games for United and the whole team was just incredible, with an amazing atmosphere. Somehow we didn’t end up going through the tie because Bayern scored twice and went through on away goals, but still that game is always going to be in my heart.

Of course, we haven’t always won and things haven’t always gone smoothly. I’ve had some tough and difficult moments as well, but even they gave me positives.

In my second season, I suffered a broken leg against Rangers in the Champions League. Badly broken.

I had my operation and then just two days later I’d been discharged from hospital and was at home resting.

The doorbell rang.

My partner answered the door and there was Sir Alex Ferguson and a team official offering me all their support, telling me to not worry.

Stay calm and concentrate on recovering fully.

We’ll be waiting for you.

For me this was a really important show of support. An incredible reaction.

I was back six months later and I played in the Champions League final.

That was down to hard work, but I have to really thank John Davin, the physio who did an amazing job. We put in place a recovery and training plan. We worked through that together and I think the physical side of things was very important before we moved on to working outside on the pitch.

Those six months were crazy for me, but I made great and lasting friendships in that time. Not just with John, either. I got to know many different people within the club. I used to eat here every day with the team, but I also got to know everyone else and I knew all about the lives of the chefs and kitchen staff as well the guys who cleaned the toilets.

A lot of the time I wouldn’t leave training until around five or six in the evening, having come in at nine in the morning. I was just like any one of the workers myself, so we built up good friendships. That part makes me a bit sad now that I’m about to leave, but in my heart I will always remember all these people.

It’s hard to forget the players I played with, too. Greats like Giggs, Rooney, Scholes, Rio, Vidic, Patrice… it’s hard to believe I’m even sat here listing these names and it’s impossible to name them all or pick out just one as the best, so I’ll just say that I’m so happy to have played with some very intelligent footballers.

I have so many memories of my time here, but also so many other items. Honestly, I’ve got an entire Manchester United Museum in my house! I’ve got things in there that are very valuable to me. They represent my life here and all the effort I’ve put in. There isn’t any amount of money that could pay for the things in there and the memories I have in my head.

There are two things that are my favourite items: the first shirt I wore for Manchester United and the armband from when Jose Mourinho gave me the captaincy for the first time.

These things, these memories, they’re absolutely priceless to me.

My heart, my affections will always lie with Manchester United. I will always be a fan of the club, but I’ll always have my affection for the people here at the club and in the city. My daughter has enjoyed ten happy years here in Manchester. This has been a wonderful home.

I will keep the team and the fans close to my heart. To the United fans, you have always been great with me, so I’d just like to say thank you for all your support during this fantastic time I’ve had with the club. I hope you keep enjoying supporting United and they continue to win many more trophies in the future.

¡Muchas Gracias!
https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...valencia-i-will-keep-united-close-to-my-heart

Sad to see him go. He has been the source of criticism in recent times, but him retiring represents the last building block of Sir Alex's team being knocked down. Just reading this makes me angry, as I doubt there is another player in our team with Valencia's warrior like attitude on the pitch. This is why he was club captain, even though he was regularly injured and could barely speak the language.
 

Siorac

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Goodbye. No doubt he is a fighter - he was never a top talent but he made the most of his abilities. I hope he gets a nice contract somewhere.
 

Jazz

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What a lovely good bye letter..... makes me feel sad.

Good luck to him.
 

norm87cro

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An statement from a player that earned the wright to adress us fans. Thanks for giving a 100% every time.
 

ninjaskill

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Sad to see him leave but it was the right time. Hopefully he has a good couple years somewhere else.
 

Man of Leisure

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I always laugh when people call these South American players soft. They grew up in conditions we can't even imagine.
Can't imagine guys like Tevez and Suarez having it easy while growing up, prolly why they developed their cnutish behavior. Then again, the likes of Di Maria is the epitome of soft.
 

Marcelinho87

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https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...valencia-i-will-keep-united-close-to-my-heart

Sad to see him go. He has been the source of criticism in recent times, but him retiring represents the last building block of Sir Alex's team being knocked down. Just reading this makes me angry, as I doubt there is another player in our team with Valencia's warrior like attitude on the pitch. This is why he was club captain, even though he was regularly injured and could barely speak the language.
Spoke pretty good by all accounts, just didn't like talking to the media in English.

Wish him all the best, he deserves our respect and this is a genuine farewell.
 

AaronRedDevil

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I am his biggest critic. But that was a lovely message. He should be proud of what he's done for his family and friends. All the way from Ecuador to one of the biggest clubs in the world. One thing I can never ever say he lacked, was heart. In his whole time here, gave everything he had every match. Ran his socks off non stop. He is an example of how a football should be.
 

charlenefan

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https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...valencia-i-will-keep-united-close-to-my-heart

Sad to see him go. He has been the source of criticism in recent times, but him retiring represents the last building block of Sir Alex's team being knocked down. Just reading this makes me angry, as I doubt there is another player in our team with Valencia's warrior like attitude on the pitch. This is why he was club captain, even though he was regularly injured and could barely speak the language.
He doesn't say he's retiring does he? It was a long read so I didn't read it all. I actually think he will retire, Ole has pretty much said he has found it hard to get fit this season and he will be 34 by the time next season starts
 

11101

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Good read and wish him the best. One of the last proper Manchester United players we had.

In one of my early days at the club, Edwin van der Sar sat me down and said to me: “This is Manchester United and this is the way we play. Win or lose, the following day you have to keep on working and training hard. It’s a team with a winning mentality.”
This bit stuck out. Can't imagine our current Captain doing that, or Valencia himself actually.
 

anant

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https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...valencia-i-will-keep-united-close-to-my-heart

Sad to see him go. He has been the source of criticism in recent times, but him retiring represents the last building block of Sir Alex's team being knocked down. Just reading this makes me angry, as I doubt there is another player in our team with Valencia's warrior like attitude on the pitch. This is why he was club captain, even though he was regularly injured and could barely speak the language.
Is he retiring or just going back home?
 

Massive Spanner

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Great servant to the club. Best winger in the league in 11/12 and did well to reinvent himself as a right-back for a period too.
 

Zlatattack

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Bye bye Tony V. Great player for us in his day. I'm sad we miss managed his decline. Players like him don't deserve the stick we gave him.
 

meamth

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Magnificent player. Always backed him up bere in caf. Now I don't have to anymore..:(

Thank you, Tony.

It's sad to think that the last legacy of Sir Alex left are Jones, Smalling, De Gea and Young. How fast time flies.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Good read and wish him the best. One of the last proper Manchester United players we had.



This bit stuck out. Can't imagine our current Captain doing that, or Valencia himself actually.
Aye, you get the feeling most of the players know they're here to earn plenty of money come rain or shine. If Edwin fancies a role here I'd roll the red carpet out though, top bloke.

Farewell Tony V. An important part of Fergie's last side and a fine servant. His last performances leave a lot to be desired, but he can go home with our thanks for what came before.
 

Rooney24

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When did these big long soppy goodbyes become a thing? First Herreras video and now this.

Gone are the days when the player played his last game, got subbed off or on, then applauded the fans and disappeared off down the tunnel.
 
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VeevaVee

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Fair play. Cheers Tony.


Whenever you hear about our ex-players first arriving at United, they always mention a moment where an older head has a talk with them about what it means to be at United. I can't imagine that's happening lately.
 

SER19

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An absolute warrior, if our players had half of this will to win an attitude we wouldn’t be where we are.

That’s actually a great read too, not the usual soppy lip service rubbish.
 

Red Viking

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Antonio Valencia is one player we all should appreciate to the fullest because he never let the club down or fans through laziness nor complacency. He is a fighter by heart and a man that shows exactly that every time he was playing for us both at Old Trafford and away games. He can be incredibly proud of his career as a Manchester United player as his work rate and dedication to his passion and career is second to none. It has been a privilege to have him playing for us as he is the perfect role model for young players when it comes to attitude and work rate and i hope many of our young players have noticed and taken the lessons given to heart. It is human to fail and we all do that at times but he never gave up and fought on from each game with an admirable attitude even when he was struggling on the pitch. He can be incredibly proud of his achievement as a player, and so can his family and his home country Ecuador.

I truly wish him all the best at his next club and a happy retirement from the game when the day comes.
 

RedCurry

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Still probably a better right back than anything else we have.
 

stu_1992

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Nice message, a good read. He's been a good player for us over the years, and a period of that he was a great winger. Shame he picked up the injuries that he did here as it meant missed a good decent of his prime years. The fact he was willing to reinvent himself as a right back prolonged his career of course and he did that well for a few years too. It's the right time to go now of course, but wish him well.
 

Ban

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Farewell Tony, always gave his all and a proper warrior. Will always be a part of United history. Sadly we're now stuck with players who don't have a clue what United represents but that's for another thread.
 

Rhyme Animal

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Nonchalantly scoring the winner...
Wow, silent for so many years, then drops that beautiful letter...

Thank you, Tony V.

Legend, and winner...

2 x Premier League winner

1 x Europa League winner

1 x F.A Cup winner

2 x League Cup winner

1 x Ecuador Serie A winner
 

Alex99

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Ten seasons qualifies him for a testimonial, no? Would be a nice send off if we could sort out something against Nacional, perhaps even in the US during the tour if that's where he's heading next. We might need to change our pre-season plans anyway, should City lose the cup final.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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A proper servant to the club and a nice guy too from what I've heard. Enjoy your retirement Tony. Well earned.
 

Negan

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Cracking player from 2009-2012. Since then, his pace and crossing ability seemed to get worse. He had that awful injury and I don’t think he was ever the same.

His only really good season after that was Jose’s first season in 16/17 where he was probably the best RB in the league.

Thanks for the memories.