Manchester United's Victor Valdes joins Standard Liege on loan
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Manchester United misfit Victor Valdes has finally found the exit door at Old Trafford.
The World Cup winner has had his time in the North West marred by a public fallout with manager Louis van Gaal, and now has the opportunity to reignite his career in a loan spell with Standard Liege until the end of the season.
(Courtesy: @Standard_RSCL)
Valdes joined the Red Devils after a 19-year, trophy-laden spell at Barcelona was cruelly concluded with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He was handed a second chance at United a few months after his exit in 2014, when he'd work under the man who gave him his senior breakthrough 12 years earlier.
Relationships became strained with Van Gaal, however, when Valdes expressed his displeasure at turning out for the Under-21 side rather than adding to his single league start for the club. He was subsequently frozen out by the Dutch gaffer - who was irked at what he perceived as a questioning of his philosophy - via lonely training sessions, and wasn't handed a squad number for this campaign.
At Standard Liege, Valdes will compete for a spot between the sticks with Yohann Thuram-Ulien and Guillaume Hubert, who've shared duties so far with 11 appearances apiece. Conceding goals has been an issue for Les Rouches, who are the only club in the top half with a negative goal difference and were trounced 7-1 by Club Brugge in August.
Standard Liege hosts Gent on Sunday, but Valdes will hope to make his bow in the Belgian Pro League next week at OH Leuven.
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