Antonio Valencia sends message to Manchester United fans ahead of Legends of the North match

Former Manchester United right-back Antonio Valencia is relishing the prospect of gracing the Old Trafford turf once again ahead of next Saturday's Legends of the North charity match against Liverpool.

A plethora of big-name former United stars will return to Old Trafford for what promises to be a memorable occasion. The likes of Gary Neville, Patrice Evra, Jaap Stam, Dimitar Berbatov and Diego Forlan will all feature, with former Reds captain Bryan Robson serving as manager.

Valencia, too, will also return to M16 for the one-off match. He spent ten years at Old Trafford after joining United from Wigan Athletic in 2009 and proved to be an immensely popular figure during that time.

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The former Ecuador international, who played at both right-back and right-midfield for United, racked up 339 appearances for the club, scoring 25 goals and grabbing 62 assists. He also won nine trophies during his time at Old Trafford.

"It's been three years that I'm not in Manchester and I am looking forward to seeing all the fans," Valencia told United's club website. "I'm in shape. I have an academy over here and I'm playing a lot.

"I hope I don't get tired soon and to run all over the pitch again."

Despite joining United in 2009 as an attack-minded right-winger, Valencia, as his game developed, was transformed into a composed and reliable right-back. He believes he was one of the first wingers to successfully make that change.

The Ecuadorian continued: "It is a very complicated role. You need to be very fit, run up and down the pitch and always be focused as you are in a defending role.

"It is true that a lot of players are doing that same transition