Xavi Valero

Xavi Valero

Personal information
Full name	Vicent Xavier Valero Verchili
Date of birth	(1973-02-28) 28 February 1973
Place of birth	Castellón de la Plana, Spain
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995-1996	Castellón		(0)
1996-1997	Mallorca	1	(0)
1997-2000	Logroñés	57	(0)
2000-2002	Castellón		(0)
2002-2003	Real Murcia	3	(0)
2003-2004	Córdoba	4	(0)
2004-2005	Real Murcia		(0)
2005	Wrexham	4	(0)
2005-2006	Recreativo de Huelva	2	(0)
2006-2007	Gramenet	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Vicent Xavier 'Xavi' Valero Verchili (born 28 February 1973 in Castellón de la Plana), is a former Spanish football goalkeeper.

After a playing career with Castellón, Mallorca, Logroñés (where he worked with José Ochotorena), Real Murcia, Córdoba, he signed for a short spell with Wrexham,^[1][2] to improve his English (learnt at the University of Castellón).

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.^[3]

After José Ochotorena decided to return to Spain to work with Valencia, Rafael Benítez appointed Valero head goalkeeping coach of Liverpool in July 2007.^[3]

Valero has been praised by former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres as one of the biggest reasons for his goals. Torres stated that during training, Valero instructs the players on how goalkeepers in future games react to one-on-one situations.^[4]

He joined Inter Milan along with other former members of Rafa Benítez's backroom team. However his stint was only short lived when he left the club in December 2010 along with Rafael Benítez and returned to his family home in Merseyside, England. He is now working under Benitez again at Napoli. ^[5]

References