Valdeskeepinghisfocus as Boro fight to survive
VICTOR VALDES is bringing the same intensity to Middlesbrough’s fight for Premier League survival as he did to the quest for World Cup and Champions League glory.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper, who won everything there is to win in the game with Barcelona and Spain before heading for Teesside, finds himself in the unaccustomed position of battling against relegation as promoted Boro attempt to avoid an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship.
That process will continue tomorrow evening when Arsenal head to the Riverside Stadium - and interim head coach Steve Agnew is confident Valdes’ winning mentality remains as keen as it ever was.
Agnew said: “Victor, we all know what he has achieved in the game.
“He has won everything and what he does bring is the bigger the game for Victor Valdes the more he responds because his career tells you that.
“He will have a massive part to play within the team for Monday night.”
Valdes’ list of honours includes World Cup and European Championship winners’ medals with his country as well as three Champions League successes and six La Liga titles as a Barca player.
Yet for all his undoubted talent, Agnew insists it is his hard work on the training ground which has made Valdes what he is - and that provides a great example to his team-mates.
He added: “You don’t win and achieve what Victor Valdes has done in his career without being focused every day.
“Whatever we are doing he is fully focused, he is 100 per cent committed and he is a top, top professional.”
At just 24, central defender Ben Gibson’s career is still in its formative stages, although such has been his development a series of Premier League rivals are monitoring his situation should the worst happen to his home-town Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes (above) and inset left, interim Boro boss Steve Agnew club. Champions Leicester are the latest to be credited with an interest in a player who has already been linked with the Gunners, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool among others - although Agnew insists the man himself will not be fazed by the attention.
He said: “Ben has had a terrific season and he has a fantastic future in front of him. He has had a recent callup to the England squad and we are all so proud of him.
“He is a Middlesbrough player, he is a Middlesbrough boy and Ben is focused on only one thing and that is the game against Arsenal on Monday night.”
Agnew has been handed a major boost ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Arsenal.
Defender George Friend, who has made only one appearance since the end of January after suffering a calf injury, and midfielder Gaston Ramirez (ankle) are both fit and ready to return.
That means only Calum Chambers, who is ineligible under the terms of his loan deal from the Gunners, will be missing as relegation-threatened Boro look for a first win in 15 league outings.