Valencia's Trophy Claim

Antonio Valencia insists a club like Manchester United cannot go two seasons without winning a trophy.

The winger admitted to MUTV that he is only reasonably happy with his personal contribution but elated to take the Barclays Premier League title back off Manchester City.

“We enjoyed it the best we possibly could," he said of the celebrations. "It’s a fact now and you can’t take that away from us. We’ve won the title after a very long season and we managed to achieve our aim.

“Last year was terrible – a trophyless season. We can’t go two seasons without bringing home some kind of silverware so the aim was to win something and winning the title fits the bill perfectly.

“That’s two medals in four years and it’s really special for me. When you work hard throughout your career to win trophies and, when you’re at a club that you adore, like I do, then it makes it even more special to win somewhere where you’re happy."

When asked to analyse his own game, the 2012 United Player of the Year feels injuries have prevented him from consistently discovering his top form.

“I suppose it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for if you make a comparison with last season," he replied. "I’ve maybe not been able to recreate the form from that year. Maybe not the same level fitness-wise and certainly form-wise.

“But looking back, I’m reasonably happy with my contribution. I’ve managed to feature in more than 27 games which is special.

“I think when you’ve suffered a couple of injuries, sometimes it’s hard to get back to those fitness levels where you can play full of confidence and you can show your ability in its best light. Sometimes it takes a while if the recovery from injury is longer than you think. It’s hard to get back to top form and the rhythm of how you normally play but hopefully pre-season will be a chance to get fit.

“When things are not going particularly well and when I’m not on my best form, I tend to be a bit harder on myself because, all the time, I want everything to turn out perfectly. So you do think about your form at these times.”