Antonio Valencia retires: "My body asked me to make this decision"

Antonio Valencia has hung up his boots. The 35-year-old right-back and 98-times Ecuadorian national team player announced his decision on Wednesday at a press conference organized by his former club Querétaro. "I didn't think this moment would come so quickly, but my body has asked me to make this decision," Valencia said at the press conference. 

"It is a difficult decision because mentally I feel great, but my body, my knee, just isn't quite right," Valencia said. "It is sad," Valencia added at the press conference. The Ecuadorian was last under contract at Liga MX side Querétaro but played the majority of his career in England. Between 2009 and 2019, Valencia was a part of Manchester United, where he won two English championships and the Europa League.