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Van Gaal orders Valencia back to school

Antonio Valencia usually does his talking on the pitch but he has been told to brush up on his language skills © Getty Images

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Louis van Gaal has sent Antonio Valencia for extra English lessons - despite the fact the Ecuadorian winger has lived in Britain for eight years.

The new Manchester United manager has a reputation as a harsh taskmaster and is already demanding that a host of the club's foreign players brush up on their language skills.

The Daily Mail reports that Valencia is one of five United stars receiving double English lessons every week as Van Gaal cracks the whip at Old Trafford.

Valencia is joined by fellow Spanish-speakers Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Radamel Falcao and Ander Herrera, although in fairness all four of his classmates are new-arrivals in the country having joined United over the summer.

Falcao and Herrera are more advanced speakers than their peers and are set to join goalkeeper David de Gea, now in his fourth year at United, in intermediate classes soon.

Valencia moved to England when he joined Wigan from Villarreal in 2006, but he has never conducted an interview in English during his eight years in the country.

Loan-signing Falcao impressed his manager when he spoke in English during his first United press conference, despite being a relative novice.

"What do you think about his [Falcao's] English?" Van Gaal joked. "Because I had the same situation in Spain.

"In my first year I spoke English, in my second year I spoke Spanish. He's come here and he's speaking English for you."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd