We need a chant for him
21
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Ander Herrera: I would never have left Bilbao but for Manchester United
The Spaniard has many footballing heroes - from Sir Bobby Charlton to Luciano Galletti – and the great enthusiast of the game wants to become a winner at Old Trafford
On the first day Ander Herrera walked into Carrington he was met by Sir Bobby Charlton. Just when he thought it could not get any better. The photograph is one of his prized possessions, his profile picture on Twitter, and Herrera looks almost offended when he is asked if he really knew anything about the man who won the European Cup and played 758 times for Manchester United, the club Herrera had just joined. “Of course,” he shoots back. “Those of us who like football know about him and I love football.”
It does not take long to realise that it is no exaggeration; as he talks, the enthusiasm is clear.
It is a wet Wednesday afternoon 15 miles south of Manchester and Herrera has just arrived with Juan Mata from Carrington, where he is drawn to the photographs on the walls; historic moments at “perhaps the world’s biggest club”. Bigger, Herrera says, than even he imagined.
“You go to the US and there are a thousand people outside the hotel. You play Real Madrid and there are 109,000 people, almost all in United shirts, 80,000 against LA Galaxy, 60,000 against Roma. Every day at Carrington there’s someone else I haven’t met yet. You get a sense of the magnitude of the club. You go into the dressing room and see Fletcher, Carrick, Rooney, Van Persie, guys who have won it all and been at the highest level for 10 years, not two or three.”
“I would never have left Athletic if it hadn’t been for a club like United. I left a different, unique club, with a special philosophy and incredible people. It’s a club that few of us have had the privilege of playing for and, who knows, but for United I might have been there 10 years. But this is the biggest club in England, a new project, new players and a new coach. Desire too: it’s been 25 years and the players are conscious of that. They’re determined to put United back where it belongs.”
Herrera continues: “I’m 25 tomorrow [Thursday] and I thought it was the right time. I wasn’t thinking: ‘The train’s leaving, the train’s leaving … ’ but United is an opportunity you can’t turn down.”
It is also an opportunity Herrera might have thought had passed him by: the train had already left once, last summer.
“Much more was said than really happened,” he insists. “From my point of view, it’s simple: United made an offer to Athletic, I told the clubs to talk, I would listen and Athletic turned it down. United offered a lot of money but not the buyout clause. Athletic said no and that’s it.”
This time, United did pay the €36m clause. “In Spain, players have an official price tag, just like shirts hanging in a shop do,” Herrera explains. “It wasn’t a difficult decision.” A year on, the move happened.
“I hadn’t been wondering what might have been or worrying over whether they’d return. It was going from ‘very, very good’ to ‘excellent’; it wasn’t escaping a bad situation. I was happy in Bilbao, so my thoughts were on enjoying playing for Athletic … we made it to the Champions League, so it’s safe to say I enjoyed it and gave everything. I understand that there are people who didn’t like me leaving but most understand that this is United.
“I didn’t talk to Louis van Gaal, I spoke to the club but I knew he was demanding, very sincere and direct, and he has shown that. He says things to your face. He protects you and supports you when you’re doing your bit. He’s very disciplined, the team always comes first and he doesn’t let you relax. Every training session has to count and I like that.
“One of the things I’ve liked about Van Gaal is that he gives mucha, mucha, mucha importance to the ball, to possession. He believes that if we have the ball it’s easier to attack. It’s not ‘ball or run’, they’re not separate things. Run, yes but with the ball. I prefer that; you don’t get as tired.”
Herrera sees some parallels with Marcelo Bielsa, his coach at Athletic before Ernesto Valverde. “He’s vigorous, intense, he gesticulates a lot.” However, was Bielsa as loco as they said? “Yes,” Herrera replies, “but a loco bueno. That’s a good thing: he thinks about football 24 hours a day, I’d never seen anyone work so much, analyse opponents so well.
“Van Gaal’s sessions have some similarities: he’s hands on. Bielsa made me a better player and I’m sure Van Gaal will, too.”
Herrera may look slight, young, too, but there is something in his initial response: “winner”.Colleagues say he is pesado: relentless, tough, hard-working, always talking. A pain. He knows referees’ names, linesmen’s, too; he reads the game superbly, both tactically and emotionally. He knows football inside out and has, they say, an innate ability to empathise. He’s a players’ player. A leader.
“It’s very, very, very early to say that,” he counters. “I see myself as a worker, shoulder to shoulder with my team-mates. Responsibility? Yes, always but I don’t see myself as the saviour of anything or more than anyone else. A leader? ‘Leader’ is a big word at United. We have leaders like Rooney, Van Persie, Fletcher, Cleverly … I’m here to contribute. Maybe one day I can be considered a leader. Not now.”
That idea of a players’ player is compelling and Herrera is a fans’ player, too. The son of a footballer who played for Zaragoza between 1982 and 1988 and later became sporting director, he sees the game differently – from the pitch, the dressing room, the boardroom and the stands.
During the tour, Herrera met David Beckham. “A legend,” he says. What he did not tell Beckham was how much he enjoyed one of his worst moments. In 2004, the Englishman scored a superb free-kick to give Real Madrid the lead in the Copa del Rey final only to lose 3-2 to Zaragoza in extra time. That began a slide that culminated in a historic three-year trophy drought. Herrera, a Zaragoza fan who began going at the age of “four or five”, was there. “In the corner where Galletti’s goal went in,” he says, beaming. Luciano Galletti’s goal was the second, right? “No,” he grins, “it was the orgasm! The winner.”
Galletti is one of Herrera’s idols. He runs through others. Soon he’s on a roll that is eloquent in itself. “Gustavo Poyet. Juan Esnáider. Galletti. Aimar. Cani, who is still playing. Fernando Cáceres. Nayim. Milito … both Militos. Santi Aragón: he’s maybe the one I’m most like in style. David Villa. Andoni Cedrún, the goalkeeper.” There’s enthusiasm in every word and admiration in every name – and there are lots of names.
As the list grows and conversation heads to other teams, it is tempting to conclude that every player is his idol – and, in a way, every player is.
One of the most striking things about talking to him is the number of footballers he mentions, as if determined not to forget anyone, and the respectful, almost reverential tone with which he does so. Ilusión is a word he uses often, too. Enthusiasm, hopes, dreams.
Football is Herrera’s vocation, one he defends and is proud of; one he is protective of. He says he is a futbolero, a lover of the game, and a forófo: a fanatic, “transformed” by it, even when watching his friend Fernando Amorebieta play for Fulham. As Spanish football confronts a crisis, he has not remained silent. He likes the game too much.
He has supported protests at Real Zaragoza, backed Real Murcia players as their club went through the courts, suffering an administrative relegation then promotion again, and spoke out about empty seats at the Europa League final. “You read that Sevilla fans and Benfica fans haven’t got tickets, and then see an empty space and, well, something’s wrong … ” he says.
“I’m not trying to be anyone. I just see it as doing for others what you’d like them to do for you,” he adds. “There are clubs in Spain that aren’t solvent and players with the same ilusión as me, the same desire and professionalism, who find themselves in bad situations.
“I still enjoy football. I love football. I love my profession. What I don’t like is cases where owners prioritise their interests over the club’s. Football can’t be solely about profit. Look, no one’s stupid: no one wants to lose money b ut nor should it be about people getting rich off people’s dreams.”
Futbolero, forófo … There’s another Spanish word for people like him too: friki. A bit of an anorak, an enthusiast. The passion goes back a long way. It is not only Zaragoza players he mentions. He talks about Andrés Iniesta, Juan Román Riquelme and Memphis Depay. The PSV player’s first name momentarily escapes him, so Herrera looks it up. It matters.
It is a familiar routine. Herrera’s dad was technical secretary at Zaragoza, Ander his unofficial assistant. “He’d travel to games and phone me up: ‘Put the telly on and watch him, him and him.’ I’d have been 12 or 13 and I’d be there, writing it down. Then I’d report back: ‘I liked the No7, I didn’t like him, I did like him … ’
“I watched a lot of football. A lot. I still do. Last season I watched some pretty friki games. Second division, Copa Libertadores, the Brazilian league, the Argentinian league. I like to watch Boca, for Riquelme. I’ve seen … ” there’s a pause. “Yeah, some friki matches. I watch a lot. I love it.
“I don’t know if my perspective is different because my dad played but I’ve always admired footballers: second division players, second division B players. When I was a kid anyone who played professionally I admired intensely – and now here I am at Manchester United. Imagine.”
I love him already.
The Spaniard has many footballing heroes - from Sir Bobby Charlton to Luciano Galletti – and the great enthusiast of the game wants to become a winner at Old Trafford
On the first day Ander Herrera walked into Carrington he was met by Sir Bobby Charlton. Just when he thought it could not get any better. The photograph is one of his prized possessions, his profile picture on Twitter, and Herrera looks almost offended when he is asked if he really knew anything about the man who won the European Cup and played 758 times for Manchester United, the club Herrera had just joined. “Of course,” he shoots back. “Those of us who like football know about him and I love football.”
It does not take long to realise that it is no exaggeration; as he talks, the enthusiasm is clear.
It is a wet Wednesday afternoon 15 miles south of Manchester and Herrera has just arrived with Juan Mata from Carrington, where he is drawn to the photographs on the walls; historic moments at “perhaps the world’s biggest club”. Bigger, Herrera says, than even he imagined.
“You go to the US and there are a thousand people outside the hotel. You play Real Madrid and there are 109,000 people, almost all in United shirts, 80,000 against LA Galaxy, 60,000 against Roma. Every day at Carrington there’s someone else I haven’t met yet. You get a sense of the magnitude of the club. You go into the dressing room and see Fletcher, Carrick, Rooney, Van Persie, guys who have won it all and been at the highest level for 10 years, not two or three.”
“I would never have left Athletic if it hadn’t been for a club like United. I left a different, unique club, with a special philosophy and incredible people. It’s a club that few of us have had the privilege of playing for and, who knows, but for United I might have been there 10 years. But this is the biggest club in England, a new project, new players and a new coach. Desire too: it’s been 25 years and the players are conscious of that. They’re determined to put United back where it belongs.”
Herrera continues: “I’m 25 tomorrow [Thursday] and I thought it was the right time. I wasn’t thinking: ‘The train’s leaving, the train’s leaving … ’ but United is an opportunity you can’t turn down.”
It is also an opportunity Herrera might have thought had passed him by: the train had already left once, last summer.
“Much more was said than really happened,” he insists. “From my point of view, it’s simple: United made an offer to Athletic, I told the clubs to talk, I would listen and Athletic turned it down. United offered a lot of money but not the buyout clause. Athletic said no and that’s it.”
This time, United did pay the €36m clause. “In Spain, players have an official price tag, just like shirts hanging in a shop do,” Herrera explains. “It wasn’t a difficult decision.” A year on, the move happened.
“I hadn’t been wondering what might have been or worrying over whether they’d return. It was going from ‘very, very good’ to ‘excellent’; it wasn’t escaping a bad situation. I was happy in Bilbao, so my thoughts were on enjoying playing for Athletic … we made it to the Champions League, so it’s safe to say I enjoyed it and gave everything. I understand that there are people who didn’t like me leaving but most understand that this is United.
“I didn’t talk to Louis van Gaal, I spoke to the club but I knew he was demanding, very sincere and direct, and he has shown that. He says things to your face. He protects you and supports you when you’re doing your bit. He’s very disciplined, the team always comes first and he doesn’t let you relax. Every training session has to count and I like that.
“One of the things I’ve liked about Van Gaal is that he gives mucha, mucha, mucha importance to the ball, to possession. He believes that if we have the ball it’s easier to attack. It’s not ‘ball or run’, they’re not separate things. Run, yes but with the ball. I prefer that; you don’t get as tired.”
Herrera sees some parallels with Marcelo Bielsa, his coach at Athletic before Ernesto Valverde. “He’s vigorous, intense, he gesticulates a lot.” However, was Bielsa as loco as they said? “Yes,” Herrera replies, “but a loco bueno. That’s a good thing: he thinks about football 24 hours a day, I’d never seen anyone work so much, analyse opponents so well.
“Van Gaal’s sessions have some similarities: he’s hands on. Bielsa made me a better player and I’m sure Van Gaal will, too.”
Herrera may look slight, young, too, but there is something in his initial response: “winner”.Colleagues say he is pesado: relentless, tough, hard-working, always talking. A pain. He knows referees’ names, linesmen’s, too; he reads the game superbly, both tactically and emotionally. He knows football inside out and has, they say, an innate ability to empathise. He’s a players’ player. A leader.
“It’s very, very, very early to say that,” he counters. “I see myself as a worker, shoulder to shoulder with my team-mates. Responsibility? Yes, always but I don’t see myself as the saviour of anything or more than anyone else. A leader? ‘Leader’ is a big word at United. We have leaders like Rooney, Van Persie, Fletcher, Cleverly … I’m here to contribute. Maybe one day I can be considered a leader. Not now.”
That idea of a players’ player is compelling and Herrera is a fans’ player, too. The son of a footballer who played for Zaragoza between 1982 and 1988 and later became sporting director, he sees the game differently – from the pitch, the dressing room, the boardroom and the stands.
During the tour, Herrera met David Beckham. “A legend,” he says. What he did not tell Beckham was how much he enjoyed one of his worst moments. In 2004, the Englishman scored a superb free-kick to give Real Madrid the lead in the Copa del Rey final only to lose 3-2 to Zaragoza in extra time. That began a slide that culminated in a historic three-year trophy drought. Herrera, a Zaragoza fan who began going at the age of “four or five”, was there. “In the corner where Galletti’s goal went in,” he says, beaming. Luciano Galletti’s goal was the second, right? “No,” he grins, “it was the orgasm! The winner.”
Galletti is one of Herrera’s idols. He runs through others. Soon he’s on a roll that is eloquent in itself. “Gustavo Poyet. Juan Esnáider. Galletti. Aimar. Cani, who is still playing. Fernando Cáceres. Nayim. Milito … both Militos. Santi Aragón: he’s maybe the one I’m most like in style. David Villa. Andoni Cedrún, the goalkeeper.” There’s enthusiasm in every word and admiration in every name – and there are lots of names.
As the list grows and conversation heads to other teams, it is tempting to conclude that every player is his idol – and, in a way, every player is.
One of the most striking things about talking to him is the number of footballers he mentions, as if determined not to forget anyone, and the respectful, almost reverential tone with which he does so. Ilusión is a word he uses often, too. Enthusiasm, hopes, dreams.
Football is Herrera’s vocation, one he defends and is proud of; one he is protective of. He says he is a futbolero, a lover of the game, and a forófo: a fanatic, “transformed” by it, even when watching his friend Fernando Amorebieta play for Fulham. As Spanish football confronts a crisis, he has not remained silent. He likes the game too much.
He has supported protests at Real Zaragoza, backed Real Murcia players as their club went through the courts, suffering an administrative relegation then promotion again, and spoke out about empty seats at the Europa League final. “You read that Sevilla fans and Benfica fans haven’t got tickets, and then see an empty space and, well, something’s wrong … ” he says.
“I’m not trying to be anyone. I just see it as doing for others what you’d like them to do for you,” he adds. “There are clubs in Spain that aren’t solvent and players with the same ilusión as me, the same desire and professionalism, who find themselves in bad situations.
“I still enjoy football. I love football. I love my profession. What I don’t like is cases where owners prioritise their interests over the club’s. Football can’t be solely about profit. Look, no one’s stupid: no one wants to lose money b ut nor should it be about people getting rich off people’s dreams.”
Futbolero, forófo … There’s another Spanish word for people like him too: friki. A bit of an anorak, an enthusiast. The passion goes back a long way. It is not only Zaragoza players he mentions. He talks about Andrés Iniesta, Juan Román Riquelme and Memphis Depay. The PSV player’s first name momentarily escapes him, so Herrera looks it up. It matters.
It is a familiar routine. Herrera’s dad was technical secretary at Zaragoza, Ander his unofficial assistant. “He’d travel to games and phone me up: ‘Put the telly on and watch him, him and him.’ I’d have been 12 or 13 and I’d be there, writing it down. Then I’d report back: ‘I liked the No7, I didn’t like him, I did like him … ’
“I watched a lot of football. A lot. I still do. Last season I watched some pretty friki games. Second division, Copa Libertadores, the Brazilian league, the Argentinian league. I like to watch Boca, for Riquelme. I’ve seen … ” there’s a pause. “Yeah, some friki matches. I watch a lot. I love it.
“I don’t know if my perspective is different because my dad played but I’ve always admired footballers: second division players, second division B players. When I was a kid anyone who played professionally I admired intensely – and now here I am at Manchester United. Imagine.”
I love him already.
Wonder what Scholes see's in him to doubt he's a centre mid? Scholes reckons he's another #10 but don't see that myself.
Wow. Rare you read young footballer THAT passionate about football. Proper captain material.
Now, compare it to Rooney's interview.
Now, compare it to Rooney's interview.
That is a fantastic interview. The kid has a great mindset towards the game and his overall enthusiasm is really admirable. It won't be long until he's a fan favorite.
My guyMight not be a pure #10 like Mata or Kagawa but he'd likely do best as the furthest midfielder in a 4-3-3. His partner in a 3-4-1-2 needs to really be a very defensive aware midfielder like Carrick.
Best of luck to him today. Hoping he has a big one.
Yeah, I don't agree with that either. Very odd statement considering how when he played as a number 10 for Bilbao he looked like a central midfielder played out of position rather than the opposite.
That is one focused intelligent, thoughtful young man. I also believe him when he cares about the club and plight of fans. A manager in the making maybe.
That interview shows he's had a really good and grounded upbringing. So yeah, he could have a managerial career.
Great interview! I love him, we need more players like him, genuine professionals who clearly love the game and are loyal to the club. Swoon! 
A lot of players are well trained in PR and just say the right thing's they are told, but you can tell Herrera is just a genuine football fan and all round top bloke.
Players like him and Mata are definitely the right type for this club.
Players like him and Mata are definitely the right type for this club.
It sounds like his dad was using him as a scout when he was a teenager.
Good education for a young player to have.
Good education for a young player to have.
He said this is a new project. I always wanted a player to say that about us.
I always wanted a player to say that about us.Such a nice interview,enjoyed reading that. Always felt the English journalists did the players a disservice by not making interviews a bit intellectual like this one. He is so grounded, he ll be a fan favorite in no time. Instead of becoming a manager maybe he should get into organizations running the game like UEFA or FIFA..
Man Utd 1:2 Swansea
Played well today and was a massive part in us taking control if midfield, which we lost after he was subbed.
Clear that Swansea had marked him out for a kicking before the game. Stood up to it well though. Shelvey was probably wondering what he'd have to do to get rid of him. Then his number was held to by the fourth official...
Clear that Swansea had marked him out for a kicking before the game. Stood up to it well though. Shelvey was probably wondering what he'd have to do to get rid of him. Then his number was held to by the fourth official...
Agree and if he had stayed on Shelvey would have been off eventually.
No idea why he got subbed, was comfortably one of our best players. Good energy, had good touches, and some good passes. Wasn't amazing or anything, but was much better then most of the others.
He played well in comparison to Fletcher. I'm not sure that qualifies it as a good performance. A lot of backwards passing and some free kick winning. He'll need to be a lot better than that.
His sub was puzzling. He wasn't outstanding but he was the only one really forcing it.
Could've linked with Mata more often but we fell apart completely when he went off and showed few signs of coming back.
Could've linked with Mata more often but we fell apart completely when he went off and showed few signs of coming back.
The drop in performance after he got subbed off was ridiculous. If only we could get a good defensive midfielder to partner him..
Clearly does when he goes off and we lose the midfield, the momentum and the match.
What we saw from Herrera was not Redondo reborn, but a competent enough performance to free up the guys in front of him. After his substitution we parted like the Red Sea before Moses.
Really enjoyed watching him today, gonna be real good for us. Fair few misplaced passes, but you don't mind that as they were fecking forward passes(are you watching, everyone else in Man Utd's midfield...", trying to make something happen. Massive mistake taking him off.
We finally have a "project" praise Moyes!He said this is a new project.
Took a bit of a kicking, took it well though, and kept battling. This is where we missed some of the old guard, like Giggs, (last season for Januzaj, notably), who'd stick someone right back and take his card to make them cop on. The sort of bite I was hoping last year that Fellaini would add.
Effectively kicked out of the game.
He is pulling a Büttner from what I gather...i.e., exceptional debut, but his other performances has been mostly average to good to unnoticable. He needs competition and I am sure a player like Kovacic will provide that. If not, I would not oppose playing kagawa or Powell as the number 8.
Well yeah, he was better than Fellaini and Fletcher who were both awful. It doesn't mean he was particularly good. I think people have been so desperate for a midfielder they're convincing themselves they've seen something that wasn't there. Most of our possession was in defence and we were slowly pushing for a goal so didn't dick about with the ball quite so much at the back meaning we weren't keeping the ball as well. More than the substitution cost us.
Wasn't impressive. It was almost like he was a new signing thrown into a desperately ordinary side or something.
The black hole in our midfield will swallow Herrera whole. Promising player but he is some distance from being top class atm, it's actually unfair on him how much we need him to perform.
The black hole in our midfield will swallow Herrera whole. Promising player but he is some distance from being top class atm, it's actually unfair on him how much we need him to perform.
I'm glad you are not the manager then. Kagawa isn't suited to the number eight role and Powell is nowhere near ready for this level.
Critics are out in full force. Baseless judgments.
He will improve us a lot but he still looks like he will need 6 months to get used to the tempo of the league. In the first half Swansea were dominating possession in central midfield which is frightening considering we were the home team that supposedly had the in form central midfield trio of Fletcher, Mata and Herrera
I said I would not oppose the idea, not that they should come in at the moment. If Herrera does not start pulling strings in midfield such a move would be made by a footballing managerial god.
Left wing back won't pass to him, right wing back won't pass to him. The center backs most certainly aren't interested in passing it to him. Obviously it all goes to shit from that point.
They weren't at all. Although Swansea used the ball better,they did not dominating possession at all.
I said on the tour games, you can see he has talent but is struggling a little to really make a difference in our side and was resoundly deafened out but I'll say it again, hes finding it difficult to impose his game here so far.
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This x1000.
You could see him asking for the ball all the time, he'd get himself open, and the other players just played the safe pass sideways/backwards. Depressing.
I thought he was good. Didn't shy away from Shelvey taking chunks out of him and we missed him hugely when he went off. Desperately need a better player alongside him though.
Indeed. The tempo collapsed. The nonsense in here about this young lad is mind boggling.The drop in performance after he got subbed off was ridiculous. If only we could get a good defensive midfielder to partner him..
Was surprised at him being subbed, even more so when it was Fellaini coming on.
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