Xavi Valero

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 Jose Ochotorena), Real Murcia, Córdoba; and a short spell with Wrexham, to improve his English language speaking (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.

After Jose Ochotorena decided to return to Spain to work with Valencia, Rafael Benítez appointed Valero head goalkeeping coach of Liverpool in July 2007.

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.

He joined Inter Milan along with other former members of Rafa Benitez's backroom team. However his stint was only short lived when he left the club in December 2010 along with Rafael Benitez and returned to his family home in Merseyside, England.