Full name: Victor Valdes Arribas
Birthplace: Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
Date of Birth: 14th January 1982
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 183cm
Weight: 78kg
Previous Teams: Peña Cinco Copas, Spain
National Squad/Number of Appearances: Spain (1caps)
Victor Valdes initially joined Barcelona in 1992 as a youth player although he then moved to Tenerife with his family before returning to the club three years later. He initially played for the club’s Youth and B teams before joining the first team squad in the 2002-3 season. In the following season he took his place as Barca’s first choice goalkeeper. Facts:
- Valdes was not initially expected to claim the No 1 jersey in the 2003-4 season as the first choice keeper on paper was Rustu Recber. Barcelona, however, insist that their foreign players must learn Spanish before they can play regularly for the first team and Valdes was able to cement his claim in goal.
- Valdes won the Zamora Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper in Spain, in the 2004-5 season which saw Barcelona win their first league title in six years.
- He won a lot of fans worldwide in the Champions League win of 2005-6 with two fantastic point-blank saves from Arsenal’s Thierry Henry.
- Although Valdes has earned approval for his role in Spain’s Under 18 and Under 21 teams he has yet to win a place in the senior national squad, although his form and high profile dictate that a call up may soon come.
- He has won two Spanish Supercups (2005-6/2006-7), two League Titles (2004-5/2005-6) and the Champions League (2005-6) with Barcelona.
- Valdes is signed to Barcelona until 2015.
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