BOSTON (CBS) — Kevin Youkilis’ Red Sox career ended rather abruptly last season, largely due to a clash with manager Bobby Valentine. That wasn’t the only reason, as the emergence of rookie Will Middlebrooks pushed Youkilis out of the lineup, but it was that discord with Valentine that will long be remembered as the reason for the departure from Boston.

Despite that sour ending, Youkilis, now a Yankee, admitted that even though he’s in pinstripes, he’ll always look fondly upon his days in Boston.

“I’ll always be a Red Sock,” Youkilis said at Yankees camp on Thursday, according to ESPN. “To negate all the years I played for the Boston Red Sox, and all the tradition, you look at all the stuff I have piled up at my house and to say I’d just throw it out the window, it’s not true.”

Ultimately, Red Sox fans will likely remember Youkilis’ near-decade in Boston for the positives, but even those comments probably won’t let him escape some boos when he digs in at Fenway Park this summer.

That, however, comes with the territory, and Youkilis made it clear on Thursday that nothing is spoiled about his time in a Red Sox uniform.

“Those were great years in Boston,” he said. “One bad half-year doesn’t take away from all the great years I had there.”