For goalkeeper Victor Valdes, playing at the Camp Nou and wearing the colors of FC Barcelona was a routine for almost 14 years. On Monday, things were a bit different for the 33-year-old Spaniard who helped the U-21 Red Devils beat Liverpool 2-1.
He was the old-dog on the field, but it was not considered cheating. The league allows three over-age players in the roster of every team.
From playing in front of a crowd of more than 100,000 to one of over 5,000 only. From being one more on a team full of stars to being the star of the team. The Leigh Sports Village was the place Louis van Gaal chose for Valdes to make his debut. The Dutch coach knows Valdes since his days with Barcelona.
The Manchester side took the lead in the 35th minute via a Nick Powell header. Jerome Sinclair sent a shot past Valdes' post in the 42nd minute to tie things up. It was Patrick McNair who, with a well executed kick to the bottom corner, scored the winner at 47.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper showed some of the skills that made him the starter back with the team he grew up in. His leadership, distribution and good clearance of the ball made it a good night for Valdes. Not getting injured should also help his moral.
At the end, he posed for pictures with some of his teammates to celebrate the victory in the locker room. Valdes also used social media to congratulate the team and express his hapiness of being back in the pitch.
Van Gaal has expressed he wants more ambition out of Valdes if he wants to be the starter with the first team instead of David de Gea. Certainly, getting his chance to work on the pitch for the first time since March 26, 2014 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament is a good way to start.
Victor Valdes used social media to congratulate his team on winning the game against Liverpool.
