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Valencia says thankyou and goodnight
Antonio Valencia has thanked Latics for providing him with an 'amazing stepping stone' in his career after signing for Manchester United for £15m.
The Ecuadorian spoke exclusively to the Evening Post prior to completing the formalities of his four-year deal last night.
The fee represents a club-record sale for Wigan, eclipsing the 14m received from Tottenham for Wilson Palacios in January.
And despite admitting his move to the champions was 'a dream come true', the 23-year-old issued a heartfelt message to the Latics fans in recognition of their unwavering support during his three-year stay.
Valencia told the Evening Post: "It is quite simple, I owe Wigan everything. Without them, there would be no Manchester United for me.
"The club has been fantastic for me, and I am genuinely sad to be leaving some fantastic memories and friends behind.
"Of course, I am excited to be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world, but I have to say I owe it all to Wigan. To Paul Jewell, Chris Hutchings and Steve Bruce, I say a massive thank you – and to the chairman Dave Whelan.
"I also want to say a big thank you to Roberto Martinez.
"I think I would have really enjoyed playing for him, but he has not opposed this move and I am grateful for that.
"Wigan has been a fantastic stepping stone for me, and I would urge any other players like me to come and sign for this club, because they give players like me a chance.
"They are the club who took a chance on me when I was only a young player, and who stuck by me in the early days when I was getting used to the pace and power of the Premier League.
"In return I have always given everything to Wigan so there is a big part of me that is sad to be leaving.
"And for the Wigan fans, I have to say a big thank you as well. They have supported me and sung my name and I will always have a place in my heart for the club.
"Good luck to Wigan, they deserve it, and I hope they will do really well this season under Roberto Martinez."
The Latics faithful had long-since been resigned to losing their prize asset – the only question being where he would end up.
United eventually pipped Real Madrid for him, and Valencia will now be charged with the thankless task of replacing World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing.
Martinez has pledged to spend the money wisely as he bids to make his own signings.
He said: "We will benefit enormously from the money that we get for him.
"In a purely footballing sense, I wish I could have kept him because he is a great player, but you have to make the decisions that are the right ones for the club.
"We have several targets in mind, and we are working flat out to try to bring in the right players to improve us."
Valencia joined Latics from Villarreal, initially on loan, immediately after the 2006 World Cup, and made his debut at Newcastle on the first day of the new season.
He played 89 games for the club, scoring seven times, and took his international cap tally to 34 during his time at the JJB.
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 14 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
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