Aitor Karanka challenged Victor Valdes to "recover his smile and his happiness to play" when he joined Middlesbrough.
Victor Valdes recovered from "the worst moments of his life" to be an influential figure for Middlesbrough in the Premier League, according to head coach Aitor Karanka.
The 34-year-old former Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper suffered a serious knee injury during the final year of his contract at Camp Nou and his subsequent spell at Manchester United turned into a nightmare after he was exiled by then-manager Louis van Gaal before being sent on loan to Standard Leige.
Given a second crack at England's top flight by Karanka, Valdes has established himself as Boro's first choice and impressed during Saturday's goalless draw at Arsenal.