Victor Valdes has big part to play, says Middlesbrough boss Steve Agnew
Saturday 15 April 2017 13:48, UK
Steve Agnew insists Victor Valdes is bringing the same intensity to Middlesbrough's fight for Premier League survival as he did to the quest for World Cup and Champions League glory.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper, made 387 appearances for Barcelona and earned 21 caps for Spain before heading to Middlesbrough in 2016, joins the club in their battle to avoid an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship.
Middlesbrough host Arsenal at the Riverside Stadium on Monday evening, live on Sky Sports, and interim head coach Agnew is confident Valdes' winning mentality will be key.
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"Victor, we all know what he's achieved in the game," Agnew said. "He's won everything and what he does bring is the bigger the game for Victor Valdes, the more he responds because his career tells you that.
"He'll have a massive part to play within the team for Monday night."
Valdes' list of honours includes World Cup and European Championship winners' medals with his country as well as three Champions League successes and six La Liga titles as a Barca player.
However, Agnew insists it is his hard work on the training ground which has made him what he is, and that provides a great example for his team-mates.
"You don't win and achieve like Victor Valdes has done in his career without being focused every day," he added. "Whatever we are doing he's fully focused, he is 100 per cent committed and he's a top, top professional."
Meanwhile, Leicester are the latest to be credited with an interest in 24-year-old central defender Ben Gibson.
Gibson has already been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal among others, but Agnew insists the 24-year-old will not be fazed by the attention.
"Ben has had a terrific season and he's got a fantastic future in front of him," the interim manager said. "He's had a recent call-up to the England squad and we are all so proud of him.
"But he's a Middlesbrough player, he's a Middlesbrough boy and Ben is focused on only one thing, and that's the game against Arsenal on Monday night."
