What's the story?
Antonio Valencia is set to leave Old Trafford this summer.
Manchester United club captain and full back Antonio Valencia has issued a heartfelt message to the fans after the club failed to trigger the one-year extension on his contract.
In case you didn't know
Antonio Valencia has been a loyal servant to the club for a decade when he joined the Red Devils from Wigan Athletic in 2009. Valencia had an instant impact which earned him the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in the 2011-12 season. He even wore the coveted number seven jersey which was previously worn by the likes of Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Valencia started his career as a right winger but later moved on to the right back position where he often got criticized for his defensive abilities in the early days. However, as time elapsed, the Ecuadorian made the full back position his own with Jose Mourinho once regarded him as the best right back in the world.
The heart of the matter
Despite having such an illustrious, injury-free career, Antonio's luck ran out, and he has been out for most parts of this season due to a calf injury. The club had an option to trigger the one-year extension in his contract but failed to trigger it, given his current injury crisis and the club's aspirations going forward.
After a decade of selfless service to the club, Valencia took to Twitter to express his feelings and is determined to return from injury before the end of the season.
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
He expressed his gratitude towards the best club in the world and thanked God for giving him the opportunity to play at Old Trafford for ten years.
What's next
It seems unlikely that Valencia could recover before the end of the season, but if he manages to come back, he will get a perfect farewell from the Old Trafford faithful.
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