ANTONIO VALENCIA: I FEEL LIKE I'M 21

The outstanding right-back won the Sir Matt Busby
trophy in 2012 and has already bagged two Player of
the Month prizes this term. Excellent against Chelsea
in the Emirates FA Cup on Monday night and in
Thursday's win over FC Rostov, the 31-year-old
Ecuador international remains a top performer, more
than a decade after arriving in England to join Wigan
Athletic.

"I’ve changed in a lot of ways [since then] but with
my willingness to keep on training hard, my hunger
to keep on improving and my desire to want to
remain here at United, I feel like I’m still just 21 years
old," said Valencia in an exclusive interview
for Inside United .
"I’m thankful to this great institution [the club] which
has given me the chance to fulfil my dreams. And, of
course, I’ll continue to fight hard to remain here for a
bit longer!"
Jose Mourinho believes Valencia is one of the best
right-backs in the world and it is a position he has
embraced after initially signing for the Reds as a
fleet-footed winger.
"Sir Alex would play me at right-back in a few games
and I think he gradually began to realise that I could
defend," the South American explained. "David Moyes
also used me in that role in a few games.
"Then came [Louis] van Gaal and he played me there
in a lot of games. I did a good job there and he
continued to play me at right-back. Now the gaffer
has come here and he’s given me the opportunity to
keep working up and down that right-hand side
which I’m enjoying."