Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho hails Antonio Valencia as best right-back on earth after convincing him to sign new deal
Ecuador international right-back last week penned a deal to keep him at Old Trafford until the end of next season
JOSE MOURINHO reckons Antonio Valencia is the best right-back on the planet.
The 31-year-old Ecuadorian penned a one-year Manchester United contract extension last week which will take him through until the end of next season.
But Mourinho does not believe that Valencia has been rewarded for quality that has seen him installed as United's first-choice right-back ahead of Matteo Darmian.
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Instead the Portuguese believes that United are the lucky ones.
Mour told MUTV: "I don't think it's a reward. You can have no better right-back in football.
"You want to keep the best. I don't see it as a reward, I see it as a privilege for us to have such a good player and such a good man.
"Antonio is playing better than ever, I think. This season he is playing magnificently."
Mourinho has previously admitted he tried to sign when hew was in charge at Real Madrid.
And today he added: “He was not playing at right-back.
“Yes, I wanted him to play at right-back.
"But Manchester United was intelligent and strong, and immediately stopped any feeling about any possibility."