Antonio Valencia, United’s Unsung Hero

Manchester United sits in fifth position in the standings, but Antonio Valencia has been their unsung hero

Antonio Valencia has never really been a fan favourite here at Manchester United. It’s safe to say that he has really grown over the past few seasons.  While he was initially bought to play the wing by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Ecuadorian really began to flourish under Louis Van Gaal. His consistent performances on the right side of defence have made himself Mourinho’s first choice right back. Valencia really does a lot, being one of the biggest work horses in the side, accompanying the attack and defending the oppositions counter attacks.

The Stats

In the premier league this season, Antonio Valencia has started for a total of 24 games equalling 2132 minutes, according to WhoScored.com. The Ecuadorian has accounted for a goal and three assists this premier league season. That lone goal however,  came from United’s last game against Middlesbrough, where he played at right wing. Though Valdes’ slip ultimately gave Valencia an empty net to walk the ball in, it was his determination to chase the ball down that granted him the chance to score. In the Europa league, he has a total of four appearances, one of them coming as a sub and provided an assist. In total for all competitions this season he has one goal and six assists. Most of all that is impressive seeing that almost all those appearances have come from defence.

As mentioned before, he’s a work horse, constantly running up and down the field to accompany the attack or the defence. His other strong points are his speed and strength, which are two very vital qualities to have for the right back position. While his athleticism isn’t the only thing great about him, Valencia’s passing ability is another one of his great strengths.  He is averaging a pass success ratio of 86%. Moreover, his dribbling is another one of his strengths as he is averaging 1.5 completed dribbles per game. Maybe the only criticism of the 31-year-old Ecuadorian, is his constant attitude of getting stuck in and committing fouls.

In a season where United fans have praised the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Michael Carrick for aging like a fine wine, the same must be said about Antonio Valencia. Though not as old as the two players mentioned, he is hitting the latter stages of his career, yet playing better than he ever had before. Also his valued effort, especially these last two seasons has solidified him as United’s first choice right back and possibly for the next season to come.