He was the young boy who helped his mother sell drinks outside Lago Agrio’s Carlos Vernaza stadium in north-east Ecuador, one of three energetic brothers who trawled towns looking for discarded bottles that his father then sold to a bottle-deposit in the capital city of Quito.
He left home at 16 and moved to Europe at 19. And in the Community Shield showpiece at Wembley— five days after his 24th birthday — Luis Antonio Valencia will make his competitive debut for Manchester United as the man they hope can replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
It has been quite a journey for the Ecuador international, United’s most expensive summer signing at £18million.
Sir Alex Ferguson may have had the £80m Real Madrid spent on Ronaldo burning a hole in his pocket, but his only big buy this summer has been the right-winger from Wigan, although Valencia says the manager first expressed interest in him last December.
‘He told me that he wanted me in his team, but I didn’t believe him,’ said Valencia. ‘Now I realise that he is one of the true serious guys in England. When he says something, he means it.’
Just as well that Valencia did not agree to join Real Madrid in January.
‘Real wanted me but I turned them down as I was happy at Wigan,’ he said.
Back then, it seems, Ferguson was already thinking of life after Ronaldo and today’s meeting with Chelsea will be the first opportunity to see the Premier League champions playing with their new-look formation — a two-man strikeforce and narrower midfield.
Unsurprisingly, Valencia, who will wear the No 25 shirt, is keen to play down comparisons with United’s former golden boy.
‘He’s Cristiano Ronaldo, I’m Antonio Valencia,’ he said. ‘My way of playing is different. We don’t have anything in common. I’m just happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the important thing is to be on the pitch.’
Ferguson is unstinting in his praise for Valencia. ‘He’s got great balance, power and speed,’ he said. ‘He’s immediately taken to the challenge well and with purpose.
We’re very pleased with what we’ve seen.’
The match will mark the culmination of years of hard work for the media-shy Valencia, whose first break came when scout Pedro ‘Papi’ Perlaza spotted him playing on a dusty field near his home, aged 11.
Perlaza signed him to the local FA-run sports academy in Sucumbíos, where Valencia spent four years improving his shooting with both feet on pitches often flooded by monsoon rains, which may explain why some of his best Wigan performances, notably against United last May,came in torrential conditions.
United left-back, Patrice Evra, recently noted that Ferguson likes his players to fit a certain background profile.
‘The boss comes from a difficult part of Glasgow, I came from a difficult suburb in Paris, with 24 brothers and sisters, and the same goes for Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs,’ said Evra
‘The coach once spoke about this to all of us and I will never forget it. He showed us all that we had a soul. I am sure he looks at a player’s background to find out what kind of man he is signing.’
If that is the case, Ferguson would have no doubts about Valencia. He helped both his parents do their jobs, and then sneaked off to play football, running rings around the older boys in the neighbourhood.
‘My childhood was very happy,’ he said. ‘While my dad worked, all the members of the family worked together to help bring food to our home.’
At 16, Valencia moved to Quito and El Nacional, Ecuador’s biggest club, on a monthly salary of 50 dollars. Within a year, he was fast-tracked into the Under-20s where, alongside new Birmingham City signing Christian Benitez, he scored 17 goals in 23 matches.
At 18 he was making his El Nacional debut alongside his idol, Edison Mendez, and a year later, in March 2005, he scored twice on his Ecuador debut in a 5-2 win over Paraguay.
Before the 2006 World Cup, Valencia had struggled to make his mark at Spanish side Villarreal but moved on loan to Recreativo Huelva.
He helped them win promotion to La Liga then had a starring role at the World Cup, putting himself in contention — along with Cristiano Ronaldo — for the Best Young Player award.
In the event, that accolade went to neither, Germany’s Lukas Podolski taking the honour. But Valencia’s path to the Premier League was assured.
Wigan scout Bill Green recommended him and Valencia moved on loan, bringing with him his girlfriend, Zoila, and their young daughter, Domenica.
His loan period was extended into the following season before Wigan made the move permanent, signing him on a three-and-a-half year contract in January 2008.
In England, Valencia has grown more than an inch taller and has gained nine kilograms in muscle mass.
As one of his mentors, Ulises de la Cruz, the former Aston Villa and Reading defender who became the first Ecuadorean to play in the Premier League, said: ‘In England you
need to be at a physical peak as it’s crucial to be strong to succeed there.’
Valencia still speaks to De la Cruz at least three times a week and has said his advice has been invaluable.
Valencia returned to his home town of Esmeraldas for a family christening a few weeks ago. During the service the priest asked the congregation to pray for his success at Old Trafford.
But Valencia has such self-belief that divine assistance may not be necessary. As he put it: ‘I’ll just do my job as I did it at Wigan, with the same trust in my ability. That’s what I do best.’
Source: Daily Mail
