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Valdes: No LVG hard feelings
- Updated: August 19, 2016
Victor Valdes insists Louis van Gaal remains a father figure to him – despite almost forcing him into hanging up his gloves by making him train on his own.
The Spain international, who made his Middlesbrough debut on their Premier League return against Stoke last Saturday, says he and the Dutchman – who also gave him his chance as a youngster at Barcelona – remain friends despite their public fall-out last season.
In his first interview since joining Aitor Karanka’s Boro this summer, Valdes told Sky Sports News HQ: “I feel like a professional footballer again after all those hard days in Manchester.
“It’s difficult to explain, but it was hard being alone. Sometimes at United I thought ‘I don’t need this’, but I am a fighter and a professional.”
The 34-year-old was denied a locker at Carrington and excluded from the annual squad photo as he fell down the pecking order following his fall-out with Van Gaal.
He then had to fight back from a serious knee injury that almost ended his glittering career.
“This was the biggest fight of my career and I won it”, he added. “The easy way out was to end my career but now I feel like a professional goalkeeper again.
“I don’t have any bad words for Van Gaal or Manchester United. They helped me through my injury and the manager gave me my chance as a footballer at Barcelona and then again at United.
“He’s like a father figure to me. I don’t want to remember the last six months in a bad way – for me he is in the top. We are still friends and there is no problem between us.
“I want to say in a public way thank you to the U21 coach Alan Fettis – without him I may have given up football. He …
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