Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Man United's Antonio Valencia admits red card was 'foolish mistake'

LOS ANGELES -- Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia has admitted he was "foolish" in getting himself sent off against Real Salt Lake.

Valencia, 31, saw red during the 2-1 win at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah on Monday after a heavy challenge on Sebastian Saucedo.

Saucedo had earlier caught Juan Mata with a nasty tackle that forced the Spanish midfielder off just 15 minutes after coming on.

Jose Mourinho revealed afterwards he had refused a request from referee Allen Chapman to substitute Valencia, which prompted the official to show a straight red card.

Valencia told ESPN FC: "I am very happy that my coach came out to defend me but I have to accept that I made a foolish mistake. It is something I am going to use as an experience and try not to repeat it in the future."

Valencia revealed he apologised to the rest of the squad after the game, but the right-back is clear that part of his role as a senior player in the dressing room is to look after his teammates.

He added: "With my experience with the team I feel like I am obligated, with the other experienced players, to defend the other players.

"I can go to the younger players and tell them about this club, the importance of playing for this club. We need to look forward and try to win everything they compete in."

Valencia was part of the last title-winning team under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and has seen David Moyes and Louis van Gaal come and go as United have searched for another.

 

Mourinho won the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season but finished sixth in the league. Valencia, however, believes he is now part of a squad capable of winning the biggest trophies again.

He said: "The coach has been very smart with his acquisitions, [Romelu] Lukaku especially, and this team can win, not just the Premier League, but the Champions League and the other trophies we are going to be in."

Valencia arrived at Old Trafford from Wigan in 2009 as a winger, but after being used as an emergency right-back by Ferguson, Moyes and Van Gaal, he has been converted full-time by Mourinho.

He was one of the best full-backs in the league last season and captained United in the Europa League final.

He says the transition from flying winger to attacking right-back has been smooth, but insists he is still learning the position.

He said: "It was a good season, not the best because I believe that my best season was 2011 when we won the league and I won some trophies on the personal level, but I am still expecting that the one that is coming up is going to be the best one.

"To be captain in the Europa League final was a very good experience for me, basically because I still feel very proud of myself being an Ecuadorian playing for this team.

"We expect to win more trophies because we are expected to challenge in the Premier League and in the Champions League.

"It hasn't been that difficult to me to change because I was used as a midfielder on the right side to go up and down.

"Now the compromise is bigger because I play closer to the goal and there is always a risk that you can concede a goal as a defender, but I feel comfortable and I think I can still improve in that position."

Valencia signed two new contracts last season, underlining how important he has become to Mourinho's United. He will turn 32 in August and says he can see himself spending the rest of his career at Old Trafford.

"I am very happy here," he said. "My family is very happy living in Manchester. I want to stay here because from the first day I came to this team we have won something in nearly every season and I can win more here."

^ Back to Top ^