25 - Antonio Valencia Profile

Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera (born 4 August 1985), commonly known as Antonio Valencia, is an Ecuadorian football winger, who currently plays for Manchester United. He also plays for the Ecuadorian national team.

Valencia started his career at El Nacional, and moved to the Spanish league team Villarreal in 2005. However, he was loaned to Recreativo de Huelva for most of the 2005–06 season.

At the beginning of the next season, he joined English Premier League club Wigan Athletic, initially on a year long loan deal. He made his debut for Wigan on 19 August 2006, in a 2–1 loss to Newcastle United, and scored his first goal for them against Manchester City on 21 October 2006.The loan was extended into the following season, and on 18 January 2008 he transferred for an undisclosed fee, signing a three and a half year contract. In early June 2009, the Wigan chairman announced that he would not force Valencia to stay at the club.

On 30 June 2009, Valencia became Manchester United's first summer signing, having cut his holiday short to have a medical with the club. He has signed a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be in the region of £16 million.

Related Antonio Valencia News

  • Champions League draw

    Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Rangers now know who they will face in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

  • Benitez: Valencia dived

    Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez felt Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia dived to win an equalising penalty in his side's 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

  • Valencia goals please Fergie

    Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to Antonio Valencia following his second goal in as many games.

  • Ferguson pleased with Valencia progress

    Sir Alex Ferguson is pleased with Antonio Valencia's start at United

  • Fergie eyes Valencia goals

    Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Manchester United's style of play enables summer signing Antonio Valencia to score more goals.

  • Valencia's United debut

    Antonio Valencia is set to make his United debut against Boca Juniors in Munich on Wednesday.

  • Valencia - I am my own man

    Antonio Valencia is adamant that he was not brought to Manchester United to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

  • No more signings for United

    Sir Alex Ferguson handed Michael Owen the prized Manchester United number seven shirt and then declared Old Trafford closed for transfer business.

  • Tough route to the top for Valencia

    Manchester United new boy Antonio Valencia has taken a long, hard road from the jungle of Sucumbios province in Ecuador to join the champions.

  • Valencia joins United

    Sir Alex Ferguson has tipped new signing Antonio Valencia to make a significant contribution to Manchester United's bid for an unprecedented fourth league title on the trot.