Antonio Valencia has announced his retirement from football, two years after leaving Manchester United.

Valencia left United in 2019 when his contract expired, and signed with LDU Quito in Ecuador.

Luis Antonio Valencia (R) shakes hands with Manchester United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson after signing for Manchester United at Carrington Trainin...
Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

He recently followed this up with a stint at Mexican side Queretaro.

Now, at the age of 35, Valencia has announced his retirement.

In doing so, Valencia sent a message out to United supporters, thanking them for their support.

Valencia joined United in 2009 in an impossible scenario, attempting to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo.

While that is a feat beyond most, Valencia went onto enjoy a very successful career, winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, and one Europa League, and also played in the Champions League final.

He extended his career at Old Trafford by converting his position from winger to full-back, and also overcame a serious injury.

Valencia’s retirement saw United star and former teammate David de Gea pay tribute to him, as did Rio Ferdinand.

Valencia is still owed a testimonial by Manchester United, which was agreed when he retired in 2019, and was expected to take place in summer 2020.

Plans were dropped due to Covid, but it would be a nice gesture if United honoured the agreement when fans can come back into grounds, and can give Valencia the send-off he earned.

Related Topics