No, Valencia had to train as a soldier when he was younger:
https://www.balls.ie/football/antonio-valencia-military-training-364327
I know you're old here but perhaps you should watch your own scornful, unhelpful language before getting return fire and complaining about it.
Clearly I wasn't. One can e.g. compare a young player to Messi because the young player attempts to play like Messi. This is not the same as saying that young player is as good as Messi.
As for taking the game by the scruff of the neck, why does he have to do that? I never mentioned that. But his intensity and determination can set the tone of the game. That's leadership.