Valencia: I Feel Like I'm 21

Antonio Valencia insists he still feels 21 as he continues to press his claims for Manchester United's Player of the Year award.

The outstanding right-back won the Sir Matt Busby trophy in 2012 and has already bagged two Player of the Month prizes this term. Excellent against Chelsea in the Emirates FA Cup on Monday night and in Thursday's win over FC Rostov, the 31-year-old Ecuador international remains a top performer, more than a decade after arriving in England to join Wigan Athletic.

"I’ve changed in a lot of ways [since then] but with my willingness to keep on training hard, my hunger to keep on improving and my desire to want to remain here at United, I feel like I’m still just 21 years old," said Valencia in an exclusive interview for Inside United.

"I’m thankful to this great institution [the club] which has given me the chance to fulfil my dreams. And, of course, I’ll continue to fight hard to remain here for a bit longer!"

Jose Mourinho believes Valencia is one of the best right-backs in the world and it is a position he has embraced after initially signing for the Reds as a fleet-footed winger.

"Sir Alex would play me at right-back in a few games and I think he gradually began to realise that I could defend," the South American explained. "David Moyes also used me in that role in a few games. 

"Then came [Louis] van Gaal and he played me there in a lot of games. I did a good job there and he continued to play me at right-back. Now the gaffer has come here and he’s given me the opportunity to keep working up and down that right-hand side which I’m enjoying."