Antonio Valencia has made his feelings clear about a potential return to Manchester United to work alongside former team‑mate Michael Carrick
10:49, 13 Jun 2026Updated 10:55, 13 Jun 2026
Antonio Valencia is keen to join Michael Carrick at Man Utd
Antonio Valencia has admitted he would drop everything to work for Manchester United and reunite with his former team‑mate Michael Carrick. The Ecuadorian was a familiar face around Old Trafford during his decade at the club between 2009 and 2019.
Valencia, who hung up his boots in 2021 after almost 500 career appearances, is currently working alongside some of football’s biggest pundits at the World Cup. He has joined Telemundo Deportes, the Spanish‑language broadcaster under the NBC Sports Group umbrella.
While he’s grateful for the opportunity to offer his insight as part of the channel’s panel for the tournament, there’s one job he wouldn’t hesitate over – teaming up with Carrick, with whom he shared a dressing room for nine years in Manchester.
OPINION
Carrick was officially appointed as United’s manager last month after a successful interim spell in which he guided 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.”
Valencia and Carrick won trophies together at Man United
When asked about whether he would like to join Carrick in Manchester, the 40-year-old added: “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.
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“But if they called me, I would go running.”
If he were to land his dream job at Old Trafford, Valencia would have the backing of plenty of United fans, given his status as a club hero.
The former Reds captain made 339 appearances and scored 25 goals in a United shirt, collecting a haul of silverware along the way. This included two Premier League titles, various domestic cups and a Europa League trophy.
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