Antonio Valencia facts for kids
Valencia in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera | ||
| Date of birth | 4 August 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Lago Agrio, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Right winger, right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2001 | Caribe Junior | ||
| 2001–2003 | El Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2005 | El Nacional | 88 | (12) |
| 2005–2008 | Villarreal | 2 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Recreativo (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 37 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Wigan Athletic | 47 | (6) |
| 2009–2019 | Manchester United | 241 | (17) |
| 2019–2020 | LDU Quito | 20 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Querétaro | 15 | (1) |
| Total | 467 | (38) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2019 | Ecuador | 99 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera, known as Antonio Valencia, is a famous former footballer from Ecuador. He was born on August 4, 1985. Antonio played mostly on the right side of the field. He started as a right winger and later became a right-back. Many people consider him one of the best Ecuadorian footballers ever.
Antonio Valencia started his journey in football at El Nacional in Ecuador. He played over 80 games for them. He even helped them win the Ecuadorian Serie A league title. In 2005, he moved to Spain to play for Villarreal. He also played on loan for Recreativo and Wigan Athletic. Wigan Athletic later signed him permanently.
His great skills at Wigan Athletic caught the eye of bigger clubs. In June 2009, he joined Manchester United. This was a big step in his career. At Manchester United, he became one of Ecuador's greatest players. He was even chosen for the PFA Team of the Year in his first season. He won many trophies with Manchester United. These included two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, and the UEFA Europa League. In his last season there, he was even the team captain.
After ten years with Manchester United, Antonio returned to Ecuador in July 2019. He signed with LDU Quito. In his first season, he helped them win the Copa Ecuador. Antonio Valencia announced he was retiring from professional football in May 2021.
Antonio Valencia also played for his country, Ecuador. He made his debut in 2004. He played in many big tournaments, like the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played 99 games for Ecuador and scored 11 goals.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Antonio Valencia was born on August 4, 1985. His hometown was Lago Agrio, near Nueva Loja, in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. When he was young, Antonio helped his mother sell drinks outside the local football stadium. He would also collect empty bottles for his father to sell.
Antonio used to play football barefoot near his home. He lived in a small house with his parents, five brothers, and a sister. When he was 11, a scout named Pedro Perlaza saw him playing. Pedro signed him up for a local sports academy.
At 16, Antonio made a big decision. He left home to play for El Nacional, a military-backed club in Quito. Only his mother and older brother, Carlos Alfredo, knew about his plan. His brother even paid for his eight-hour bus trip. Antonio started as a central midfielder and earned about 50 dollars a month.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at El Nacional
Antonio Valencia began his professional career at El Nacional. Within a year, he moved up to the under-20s team. There, he played alongside another talented striker, Christian "Chucho" Benítez. Antonio played his first game for El Nacional with his hero, Édison Méndez. In 2005, Antonio won his first club title with El Nacional. They won the 2005 Clausura Tournament. This success got him noticed by the national team and Spanish clubs.
Moving to Spain: Villarreal and Recreativo
In 2005, Antonio Valencia moved to the Spanish club Villarreal. He found it hard to get into the main team. So, he was loaned to Recreativo to get more experience. Antonio helped Recreativo get promoted to La Liga, which is Spain's top football league. They finished first in their league that season.
Playing in England: Wigan Athletic
On August 3, 2006, Antonio joined the English Premier League club Wigan Athletic. He first joined on a one-year loan. He played his first game for Wigan on August 19, 2006. His first goal for Wigan was on October 21, 2006, in a big 4–0 win against Manchester City.
His loan was extended, and then on January 18, 2008, Wigan signed him permanently. The deal was worth about £5 million. Antonio scored his first goal of the 2007–08 season in a 2–0 win against Derby County. He later scored two goals in one game against Aston Villa.
In the next season, Antonio scored in Wigan's 5–0 win over Hull City. He also scored against Manchester City. Wigan's manager, Steve Bruce, said that Antonio turned down a chance to join Real Madrid in January 2009.
Becoming a Star: Manchester United
Early Success and Awards
On June 30, 2009, Antonio Valencia became the first new player for Manchester United that summer. He signed a four-year contract. The fee was rumored to be around £16 million. He played his first game for United on July 29, 2009, and scored a goal in a friendly match. His first official goal for the club was on October 17, 2009, against Bolton Wanderers.
Antonio helped Manchester United win the 2010 League Cup Final. He set up the winning goal for Wayne Rooney. He was named the best player of that match. In his first season, Antonio was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year. This is a big honor for players in the Premier League.
On August 8, 2010, Antonio scored United's first goal in their 3–1 win over Chelsea in the Community Shield. However, he suffered a serious ankle injury in a Champions League game in September 2010. He had surgery and was out for several months. He returned to training in February 2011.
Antonio played his first game back from injury in March 2011. He scored his first league goal of the season in April 2011. He also scored in the Champions League semi-final against Schalke 04. He became the first Ecuadorian player to win a Premier League medal in the 2010–11 season.
In August 2011, Antonio signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United. He continued to play well, scoring important goals. In April 2012, in his 100th game for the club, he scored a fantastic goal against Blackburn Rovers. He also set up another goal in that game.
Antonio Valencia won several awards for his great play in the 2011–12 season. He won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award and the Manchester United Players' Player of the Year award. His goal against Blackburn Rovers also won the Goal of the Season award.
In July 2012, Antonio was given the famous number 7 shirt at Manchester United. This shirt had been worn by legends like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Switching to Right-Back
In April 2013, Antonio scored his first league goal of the season against West Ham United. On April 22, 2013, he won his second Premier League title with Manchester United.
After the 2012–13 season, Antonio went back to wearing his old number 25 shirt. He continued to play well, scoring goals in the Champions League and Premier League. In June 2014, he signed a new contract that kept him at the club until 2018.
When new manager Louis van Gaal arrived, Antonio started playing more as a right-back or wing-back. He had played these positions sometimes before. In October 2015, Antonio had a foot injury that needed surgery. He was out for at least four months. He returned to play in March 2016. Antonio played the whole game at right-back in the 2016 FA Cup Final. Manchester United won the FA Cup that day.
Final Years with United
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In January 2017, Manchester United extended Antonio's contract until 2018. In March 2017, he played his 200th league game for United and scored a goal. In May 2017, his contract was extended again until June 2019. He had captained United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final just two days before.
In September 2017, Antonio scored a great goal against Everton. In October, he captained the team in his 300th game for Manchester United. At the start of the 2018–19 season, manager José Mourinho announced that Antonio would be the club's main captain.
In March 2019, Manchester United decided not to extend Antonio's contract. This meant his ten-year journey with the club ended in June. Antonio Valencia played 325 Premier League games for Manchester United. This is a record for a South American player.
Returning to Ecuador: LDU Quito
After leaving Manchester United, Antonio Valencia joined LDU Quito in Ecuador for free. He played his first game for them on July 18, 2019.
Playing in Mexico: Querétaro
On November 27, 2020, Antonio signed with the Mexican club Querétaro. He joined them for free.
On May 12, 2021, Antonio Valencia announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career for Ecuador
Antonio Valencia first played for the Ecuador national team in 2004. On March 27, 2005, he scored his first two goals for his country. This was in a World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay. Three days later, he scored again against Peru.
Antonio played in all of Ecuador's games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was even nominated for FIFA's ideal team and the Gillette Best Young Player award.
In June 2014, Antonio was part of Ecuador's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He captained the team in a friendly match against England. During that game, he was sent off after a small argument with an English player. Antonio later said sorry for his reaction. He captained Ecuador in all three of their World Cup matches.
Antonio missed the 2015 Copa América because he needed ankle surgery. He was chosen for the Ecuador squad for the 2016 Copa América Centenario. On June 12, 2016, he scored in Ecuador's 4–0 win over Haiti.
Personal Life
Antonio Valencia is married to Zoila, and they have a daughter named Domenica. Domenica was born during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Antonio also took English lessons to help him communicate better. His older brother, Éder, was also a professional footballer.
Antonio has a tattoo on his arm to remember his good friend and former teammate, Christian "Chucho" Benítez. Christian passed away in 2013.
Trophies and Awards
Antonio Valencia won many trophies and awards during his football career.
Club Trophies
El Nacional
- Ecuadorian Serie A: 2005
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2010–11, 2012–13
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- Football League/EFL Cup: 2009–10, 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2010, 2013, 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
LDU Quito
- Copa Ecuador: 2019
- Supercopa Ecuador: 2020
Individual Awards
- Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2010 (Award for the best player in the League Cup Final)
- PFA Team of the Year: 2009–10 Premier League (Chosen as one of the best players in the league)
- Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2011–12 (Manchester United's best player, chosen by fans)
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17
- Premier League Goal of the Month: September 2017
- Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2016–17 (Manchester United's best player, chosen by his teammates)
- Manchester United Goal of the Season: 2011–12 (for his goal against Blackburn Rovers)
Records
- Guinness World Record for the most goals scored from a corner in 1 minute: 6 goals (shared with Matteo Darmian)
Images for kids
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Valencia in 2022
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Valencia taking on Arsenal's Gaël Clichy for Wigan Athletic in 2008
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Valencia playing against CSKA Moscow during his first season at Manchester United
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Valencia taking a corner kick in the 2–2 draw away to Fulham on 22 August 2010
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Valencia in training on a pre-season tour of South Africa in July 2012
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Valencia (right) during a Europa League game against FC Rostov in 2017
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Valencia lining up for Ecuador in 2007
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Valencia (left) in action against Peru
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See also
In Spanish: Antonio Valencia para niños
