Biography
Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera, born on August 4, 1985, in Nueva Loja, Ecuador, is known as one of Ecuador's top footballers. Over a career that lasted nearly twenty years, he started as a right winger and later became a right-back, showing the flexibility that defined his career. After coming up through the youth system at El Nacional, he became a key player for the team, making over 80 appearances and helping them win the Ecuadorian Serie A title before moving to Europe in 2005.
Valencia's time in Europe began with Spanish club Villarreal, but he had limited opportunities there and spent time on loan. He was loaned to Recreativo for the 2005-06 season and then to English Premier League team Wigan Athletic from 2006 to 2008. He performed well enough at Wigan that they signed him permanently in January 2008, and his career truly took off from there.
The key part of Valencia's career was his move to Manchester United in June 2009. Over ten seasons at Old Trafford, he grew from a promising winger into one of the team's most dependable players. In his first season, he made the PFA Team of the Year and went on to win a number of trophies, including two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, three FA Community Shields, and the UEFA Europa League. He was named club captain for his final season, becoming the first Ecuadorian to hold this role at Manchester United.
Internationally, Valencia played for Ecuador from his debut in 2004. He was part of major tournaments like the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the Copa América in 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2019. He ended his international career with 99 caps and 11 goals, just missing out on 100 caps. After going back to Ecuador in 2019 with LDU Quito, he won the first Copa Ecuador before retiring in May 2021.
Before Fame
Valencia grew up in Nueva Loja, a city in Ecuador's Sucumbíos Province near the Colombian border, where there wasn't much access to professional football facilities. Despite these challenges, his athletic talent showed from an early age, and he was soon recruited by El Nacional's academy in Quito. Established in 1964, this club had become one of Ecuador's top football organizations and gave Valencia the structured development he needed to advance.
His career took off during a time when Ecuadorian football was gaining momentum. The national team's qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup raised the profile of domestic players, opening up opportunities for talents like Valencia to catch the eye of European scouts and clubs interested in South American players.
Key Achievements
- Won two Premier League titles with Manchester United (2012-13, 2016-17)
- Captained Manchester United during the 2018-19 season
- Selected for PFA Team of the Year in his debut Premier League season (2009-10)
- Represented Ecuador in two FIFA World Cups (2006, 2014)
- Won the inaugural Copa Ecuador with LDU Quito in 2019
Did You Know?
- 01.Valencia scored Manchester United's first goal at their new Carrington Training Centre during a practice match
- 02.He was the first Ecuadorian player to captain Manchester United in an official match
- 03.Valencia wore the number 25 shirt at Manchester United for most of his career before switching to number 7
- 04.He scored his first international goal against Colombia in a World Cup qualifier in 2007
- 05.Valencia never received a red card during his entire ten-year career at Manchester United