Victor Valdes returns to Manchester United after Standard Liege loan cut short

Victor Valdes is returning to Manchester United after Standard Liege decided to cut short the Spanish goalkeeper’s loan deal.

Former Barcelona man Valdes joined Standard on a six-month loan deal in January and helped them win the Belgian Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory over favourites Club Brugge. But Standard have decided to give their younger players more gametime towards the end of the season and have cut Valdes’ loan short.

A statement published on their official website standard.be, which also confirmed the early departure of Giannis Maniatis, read: “As we decided to give more playing time to the youth players at the end of the season and because they couldn’t be selected for medical reasons, the Spanish goalkeeper and the Greek midfielder have decided, in agreement with the club, to finish their loans at the end of this week.

“Standard Liège want to thank Giannis and Víctor for everything they did for our club, especially during the successful campaign on the way to winning the Belgian Cup. We also wish them the best in the rest of their professional careers.”

Valdes joined Manchester United after a trophy-laden 15-year career with Barcelona, where he won six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues before a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in March 2014 ended his career at the Nou Camp.