Luis Antonio Valencia, an Ecuadorian footballer, was born on August 4, 1985 in Nueva Loja, Sucumbios. This right winger was included in the Ecuador national football team in 2005 and made his first international appearance in a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay on March 27, 2005, netting twice in its 5-2 win. Luis Antonio Valencia was also a part of the national squad that won matches against Poland and Costa Rica at the 2006 World Cup finals.
His impressive performances earned him a nomination for FIFA's ideal 11 team, which recognizes the top stars for every position in the World Cup. Luis Antonio Valencia was also one of the six candidates who were shortlisted for the Gillette Best Young Player award. He represented the national team at Copa America 2007, and scored against Chile on June 27, 2007.
Luis Antonio Valencia started his career in football with Club Deportivo (CD) El Nacional in 2001, following his stint with Caribe Junior youth club from 1999-2001. He was with CD El Nacional till 2005, during which, he made 84 appearances and scored 20 goals. Luis Antonio Valencia moved to Villareal CF, a Spanish club, following which he was loaned to Recreativo de Huelva.
On August 3, 2006 he transferred on a one-year loan deal to Wigan Athletic, English Premier League club. While signing him Paul Jewell, Wigan Manager, felt Luis Antonio Valencia has skill in abundance and the capability to combine skill with electric pace and a very high work rate. He added that he has the attributes to make it a success at the Premiership, and hoped that the right winger would bring an exciting new dimension to their squad.
Luis Antonio Valencia made his debut for Wigan Athletic on August 19, 2006 in a match against Newcastle United. His first goal for Wigan came on October 21, 2006 in a 4-0 win against Manchester City. In the summer of 2007, his loan was further extended, following which, he moved permanently to Wigan by signing a three-and-a-half year contract on January 18, 2008.
Luis Antonio Valencia netted his second premiership goal on February 23, 2008 in a clash with Derby County, and on May 3, 2008 he scored a brace in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, doubling his goal count for Wigan. As of May 2008, Luis Antonio Valencia has played 19 matches and scored 5 goals for the club.
