Valencia: Champions League exit still hurts

Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia said the club is still hurting from their early exit from the Champions League.

Valencia bagged a goal in United’s 5-0 thrashing of his former club Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, a result which moved the Red Devils level with rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

United have been in blistering form since their shock defeat to Basel dumped them out of Europe’s elite competition, and the Ecuador international has confessed that the pain of exiting the tournament at the first hurdle has spurred his side on in their hunt for other trophies.

Valencia told Sky Sports: “The biggest blow was the Champions League because we are a big club and we are expected to be fighting to win the competition, not just qualifying from the group stages.”

“We reached the final last year and it hurts to go out so early. But we are using that hurt.”

“The group now tries even harder in training and we are going into games with a determined attitude because we’ve got to win something, whether it is the Premier League, Europa League or FA Cup.”

“We have to make sure we are involved in those trophies and we have a renewed focus.”

United take on Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve, knowing that a positive result will see them head in to 2012 at the top of the Premier League.