Valdés writes emotional letter to Casillas asking him to retire

Victor Valdes has written an emotional letter to Iker Casillas and posted it to his Instagram. In the letter that speaks of battles gone by between the pair along with their time together with Spain, Valdes begs Casillas to retire and to leave his legacy do the talking for the rest of his life. The goalkeeper suffered a heart attack at training during the week with Porto and while he is fine, serious doubts remain over whether he will continue playing football.

Dear Iker, Dear friend.

In the world of soccer, some choose to be a goalkeeper while others have to learn with all of their defects and virtues.

You are and always will be one of those who was born with a glove on either hand. The idol that has these inate qualities that the rest of us have to reach for. An idol that the other less capable focus on, dreaming that one day they can lift, like you, the trophy that recognises you as the best, our world champion with the number one on his back.

You are, and forever will be the motivational force that those between the posts dream to be, someone able to flying higher and for longer than all of us together at once. Turning the unthinkable into reality. Executing every action close to our reach, with this magnificent save. Saves that only you can do on chosen ground for the chosen few or those touched with the 'magic wand'.

My friend, it is inevitable to get emotional writing these lines remembering what I lived, admiring with a certain nostalgia those great battles with you in front of me that made me value everything much more, and without you knowing it and for what you gave me in each training session. A whole country acclaimed you.

Dear Iker, Dear friend,

As goalkeepers, we accept without fear and with the values through which we identify ourselves, the danger that life decides to bring close to our areas and on this occasion it's more than one simple save. Your heart, that continues beating for the sake of those who dream of reaching what you once were, as a friend and as a rival in times gone by, I encourage you to be that white lion once again but this time on the sideline.

It is your legacy that defines you, and this is already history.

Always in my thoughts, from keeper to keeper.

The double.

V.V