Man Utd legend looks unrecognisable as he joins ex-teammates for world XI match
Former Manchester United captain Antonio Valencia has been pictured looking unrecognisable from his time at Old Trafford.
Valencia spent a decade at the Red Devils after joining from Wigan Athletic in 2009, going on to make more than 300 appearances. During his final season at the Premier League giants, he acted as captain, before returning to Ecuador and retiring in 2021.
The former skipper still represents United at legends tournaments and was pictured at one last week. Valencia is competing in the Legend's Football League in Dubai, alongside the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Mikael Silvestre, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown.
Also taking part is former United flop Juan Sebastian Veron, with Valencia taking the chance to have a picture with the midfielder. He posted the photo on Instagram, alongside the caption: "I met this great player."
Veron replied by writing: "Crack Antonio, good to see you well." While Veron looks more or less exactly as he did when he first arrived at United over 20 years ago, Valencia appears totally different to when he was playing for the Red Devils.
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Valencia was announced as being part of the United squad for the legend's tournament last month. He is wearing his iconic No.25 shirt for the duration of the competition, saying on Instagram: "It is a great pleasure to wear the 25 again."
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Antonio Valencia has been pictured a a legend's tournament, looking unrecognisable from his Manchester United days (antoniovalencia2525/Instagram)The former United skipper is taking part in what has been branded a 'first of its kind' tournament. Games are played over 90 minutes, with each team being able to call upon 'Impact Players'.
These stars can be a current footballer or a celebrity, while each player will take part in a penalty shootout. The first game took place on Saturday, with the six-team league traveling to India in January 2024 for its second game, followed by matches in Qatar, the UK and France.
Valencia won two Premier League titles with United, as well as the clean sweep of the club's Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Goal of the Season awards in 2012. His final manager at United was Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese boss made him captain, as well as convincing him to sign a new contract in 2018. And it was clear that Mourinho was a huge fan of the Ecuadorian legend, having previously tried to sign him for Real Madrid.
"I don't think it's a reward. You can have no better right-back in football. You want to keep the best. I don't see it as a reward, I see it as a privilege for us to have such a good player and such a good man," Mourinho told MUTV after Valencia signed his new deal..
"Antonio is playing better than ever, I think. This season he is playing magnificently. I wanted him to play at right-back. But Manchester United was intelligent and strong, and immediately stopped any feeling about any possibility."
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