Antonio Valencia is reaching the end of his Manchester United career after spending 10-years at Old Trafford.
Becoming the first Ecuadorian to play for United, Valencia was signed from Wigan Athletic for £16 million in 2009, as reported by The Guardian.
While he’s been a terrific servant to United, winning 2 Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, 2 League Cups and the Europa League, it left some fans puzzled to hear he’d been named club captain by José Mourinho because he doesn’t speak fluent English.
It looks like MUFC have fucked Antonio Valencia off. I think he's been a decent player for United. Never a great one but a good un for sure. The decision to make him captain was a strange one though considering he can't speak a word of English.
— Gary Thompson (@gary302) March 1, 2019
This season his minutes on the pitch have been hit by ongoing injuries, but it’s uncertain he would still be a starter anyway.
NEXT: Antonio Valencia to leave Man Utd; club decide not to trigger contract extension
Ashley Young does a job while Diogo Dalot is clearly a very talented understudy, so even if the Ecuadorian does return before the end of the season, it would be a surprise to see him start games unless the injury crisis continues.
Even though many would agree that Valencia’s time has come to leave United, it’s always a bit sad saying goodbye to a player that’s been around some time. Let’s not forget he is one of few Premier League winners currently at the club, although that needs fixing by other means.
Anyhow, Valencia left a message for his fans on social media. Here’s the tweet:
Lago Agrio is a very humble town in Ecuador. When I was a child, I never imagined travel to Europe. Thanks to God for letting me play 10 years in the best club in the world: @ManUtd. Now I am focused on my recovery so I can end the season playing at Old Trafford! pic.twitter.com/ftqMLCDWlr
— Antonio Valencia (@anto_v25) March 1, 2019
Valencia thanks God for rewarding him the dream of playing for Manchester United.
We’d like to thank Valencia for his service at United down the years.
