Xavi Valero

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Xavi Valero

| image =Naples vs Barcelone - Genève - aout 2014 - Xavi Valero.jpg

| caption = Valero as goalkeeping coach of Napoli in 2014

| full_name = Vicente Javier Valero Verchili

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|2|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Castellón de la Plana, Spain

| height =

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1995–1996

| years2 = 1996–1997

| years3 = 1997–2000

| years4 = 2000–2002

| years5 = 2002–2003

| years6 = 2003–2004

| years7 = 2004–2005

| years8 = 2005

| years9 = 2005–2006

| years10= 2006–2007

| clubs1 = Castellón

| clubs2 = Mallorca B

| clubs3 = Mallorca

| clubs4 = Logroñés

| clubs5 = Castellón

| clubs6 = Real Murcia

| clubs7 = Córdoba

| clubs8 = Real Murcia

| clubs9 = Wrexham

| clubs10 = Recreativo de Huelva

| clubs11 = Gramenet

| caps1 = 21

| caps2 = 3

| caps3 = 1

| caps4 = 57

| caps5 = 66

| caps6 = 3

| caps7 = 4

| caps8 = 3

| caps9 = 3

| caps10 = 2

| caps11 = 2

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 0

| goals10= 0

| goals11= 0

}}

Vicente Javier 'Xavi' Valero Verchili (born 28 February 1973), is a Spanish former football goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach for Premier League team West Ham United.

Football career

=Player=

Valero was born in Castellón de la Plana in the Valencian Community. He played 67 games in Segunda División, winning promotion with Mallorca (1997), Real Murcia (2003) and Recreativo de Huelva in 2006, despite not being first-choice in any of those campaigns. He also represented Córdoba in that division, and played 92 Segunda División B matches, mainly for his hometown club Castellón.{{cite web |title=Valero |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j4686.html |publisher=BDFutbol |access-date=14 May 2020}}

Released by Córdoba in 2004, but still training with the club, Valero moved abroad for the only time as a player in January 2005, to sign a one-month non-contract deal with Wrexham in Football League One.{{cite news |title=El of a task for Dragons' new keeper |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/el-task-dragons-new-keeper-2408567 |access-date=14 May 2020 |publisher=Wales Online |date=11 January 2005}} Manager Denis Smith signed him based on video footage. As first-choice Andy Dibble had a thigh injury, Valero made his debut on 11 January in a 2–2 draw at Peterborough United.{{cite news |title=Peterborough 2-2 Wrexham |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/4157269.stm |access-date=14 May 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 January 2005}} He made two more league appearances for the Red Dragons, as well as a 2–1 win in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-finals away to Haverfordwest County on 18 January, and shared teams with compatriot striker Juan Ugarte.{{cite news |title=Haverfordwest 1-2 Wrexham |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/4183443.stm |access-date=14 May 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 January 2005}}

=Goalkeeping coach=

After retiring from playing, Valero took his coaching badges, gaining a Masters in Goalkeeper Coaching from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and a Master of Sports Psychology UNED in Madrid.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/reds-appoint-new-goalkeeping-coach |title=Reds appoint new goalkeeping coach |first=Paul |last=Eaton |publisher=Liverpool F.C. |date=14 July 2007 |access-date=2 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084246/http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/reds-appoint-new-goalkeeping-coach |archive-date=6 October 2014 }}

After José Ochotorena decided to return to Spain to work with Valencia, Rafael Benítez appointed Valero head goalkeeping coach of Liverpool in July 2007. He was praised by Liverpool striker Fernando Torres as one of the biggest reasons for his goals; during training, he instructed the players on how goalkeepers in future games react to one-on-one situations.{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/8/main/2008/06/05/723987/torres-premiership-defenders-are-dodgy|title=Torres: Premiership defenders are dodgy! |website=Goal.com|first=Derek|last=Wanner|date=5 June 2008|access-date=30 June 2018}}

Valero remained in Benítez's coaching staff at Inter Milan, Napoli and Real Madrid.{{cite news |last1=Burt |first1=Jason |title=Behind the scenes at West Ham: How goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero keeps 'two number ones' happy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/12/28/behind-scenes-west-ham-goalkeeping-coach-xavi-valero-keeps-two/ |access-date=14 May 2020 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=28 December 2018}} In June 2018, he was named as goalkeeping coach as part of Manuel Pellegrini's staff at West Ham United.{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/11421883/manuel-pellegrini-names-west-ham-backroom-staff|title=Manuel Pellegrini names West Ham backroom staff|publisher=Sky Sports|date=30 June 2018|access-date=30 June 2018}}