HE WAS EXILED, ignored and humiliated during his time with Manchester United but Victor Valdes is back in the Premier League.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper has joined newly-promoted Middlesbrough on a two-year deal.
11 years as the Catalan club’s undisputed number one, Valdes won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies in a glorious era for the side.
In 2013, he decided to leave and he signed for United in October of the following year – the club having helped him recuperate following a cruciate ligament injury.
But his spell at Old Trafford was bizarre and ultimately acrimonious. At the end of his first season, he made two successive appearances against Hull and Arsenal and with de Gea’s future uncertain, it seemed Valdes was perfectly placed to possibly take over as the team’s first-choice.
But in the summer of 2015, Louis van Gaal revealed Valdes would be placed on the transfer list because he failed to play for the reserves – an accusation the Spaniard denied.
He was forced to train away from the first team and effectively pushed out of the club.
In January, the 34-year-old moved to Belgian side Standard Liege on loan and made six appearances before he was officially released by United last month.
He joins a number of other Spanish players on Teeside while the club’s manager, Aitor Karanka, is a former Real Madrid player and assistant coach.
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