At 32, and with a career that places him as captain and top scorer of the history of the national team, Enner Valencia is about to become Ecuador’s highest landmark in the next FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022in which his team will be the protagonist in the opening match, on November 20, facing the local team.
For the attacker it will be a second opportunity to participate in this type of tournament, after having been there the Ecuadorian revelation at the 2014 World Cup held in Brazilian territory. On that occasion, Valencia distinguished themselves with important goals; among these, those of the brace he scored for the victory of his team against Honduras, to which he added another conquest to finish with three goals to his credit in as many games played.
It was also so with two goals, scored on 7 October 2021 in a match played in Guayaquil against Bolivia as part of the qualifying rounds for Qatar 2022, which managed to break the record of 31 held by Agustín Delgado as his team’s top scorer, reaching 33 goals in 64 games.
On November 14, 2019, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago played in the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo, he managed to match the great “Tin” Delgado with a brace.
Enner Valencia: from Ecuador to the world
Trained in the Junior Caribbean Junior of the province of Sucumbios, the player born in the Ecuadorian town of San Lorenzo on November 4, 1989 joined the provincial team also in the National Championship of Provincial Teams in 2006, a springboard for his career. in 2008, at the Sport Emelec in Guayaquil.
However, despite having been promoted almost immediately to the first team, he only made his debut in 2010, led by Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, who included him on January 15th of that year in the presentation of the squad in the so-called “Blue Explosion”. “.”, started with a 2-0 victory over Independiente José Terán.
His debut in the national team is also linked to our country: it took place just 12 days later in Rosario, as part of the Copa Libertadores against Newell’s Old Boys, in a match that ended goalless. Paradoxically, it wasn’t until February 14 that he had his baptism of fire in his country’s local tournament, in Emelec’s 3-0 host win against Espoli.
With Emelec he was Ecuadorian champion in the 2013 seasonand top scorer in the 2013 South American Cup, at the same time he was called up to join the Ecuadorian national team, thanks to his speed and performance on the pitch.
Enner Valencia: Mexico – England – Mexico
In December 2013 it was announced as the new hire of the Pachuca Soccer Club of Mexico, where he immediately became the reference for his team’s attack. Only the prologue of a 2014 that saw him as the top scorer of Aztec football in view of the 2014 World Cup where, once again, he showed his skills as a lethal striker.
His performance in the planetary tournament sparked interest in his services from England’s West Ham United team, in which soon scored his first Premier League goal on 15 September 2014against Hull City. Finally he ended his first British season with four goals and good performances which he repeated in 2015/16, during which he achieved a total of 10 goals and 7 assists.
After crossing the Boleyn Ground with West Ham United Football Club, he left East London to head to Goodison Park where came on loan to Everton Football Club. During his time at the Merseyside club, he added three more Premier League wins and a couple more assists, before returning to American soil in 2017, this time as a player for the Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.
Enner Valencia: player of the national team
The first call-up to the national team came from Reinaldo Rueda, struggling with a friendly match against Honduras. Another match against the Spanish national team consolidated him in the eleven starters with whom he began qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, during which, as mentioned, he managed to stand out.
However, after his team’s participation in the tournament ends, Valencia would never have reached the level they reached then. Even so, on November 14, 2019, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago played in the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo, he managed to equal Agustín “Tin” Delgado’s score as the team’s all-time top scorer with 31 goals, for two years. subsequently overcome it and subsequently extend it to 35 points.
A gift between Turkey and Qatar
In 2020, Enner Valencia joined Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League, where after 80 games played he scored 34 goals. “Without a doubt it is my best start, not only for the goals but for the performance, the confidence of the coach and my teammates. The truth is that I am having a lot of fun,” said the striker after the start. of the current championship.
However, the player has been the subject of some criticism for a missed penalty and for the drought of goals he scored in the last few games in front of the team led by the Argentine Gustavo Alfaro, who extended his game in the Turkish club. But the story says that with the markers it is only a question of entering the door to open, and the rest will only tell the time.
Source: Clarin
