Antonio Valencia has declared that he would drop everything to rejoin Manchester United and reunite with former colleague Michael Carrick. The Ecuadorian was a regular fixture at Old Trafford throughout his decade-long spell at the club between 2009 and 2019.
Valencia, who hung up his boots in 2021 after accumulating nearly 500 career appearances, is currently working alongside some of football's leading analysts at the World Cup. He has joined Telemundo Deportes, the Spanish-language broadcaster operating under the NBC Sports Group umbrella.
While he values the opportunity to offer his insight as part of the channel's punditry panel for the tournament, there is one position he wouldn't hesitate to accept - teaming up with Carrick, with whom he shared a dressing room for nine years in Manchester. Carrick was formally appointed as United's manager last month following a successful interim period in which he steered the club back into the Champions League and secured a third-place finish in the Premier League.
"I sent him a message wishing him success," Valencia told Hajper. "Carrick is someone I respect and care about a lot. I wished him success as a coach, and I think it has gone well for him. Things have worked out, and it makes me happy that he is going into another season on the bench."
When asked whether he would contemplate linking up with Carrick in Manchester, the 40-year-old responded: "Yes, I would go back. Manchester United is a club that gave me so much. My family was very happy there. I would work for Manchester United in any role, out of passion. It is a club I love a lot. I think everything they are doing is going well. But if they called me, I would go running."
Were he to land his ideal role at Old Trafford, Valencia would receive backing from countless United supporters, given his status as a club icon. The former Reds captain made 339 appearances and scored 25 goals in a United shirt, accumulating an impressive haul of silverware during his time at the club. This included two Premier League titles, multiple domestic cups and a Europa League trophy.
