“My passion is football. Once when my mum made me a present of a toy car, I said: ‘Thank you, mum, but I don’t want it. I want football shirts, boots, kit.’ My mum still has a big bag with shirts from all the teams in all the world.’’
The youngster acquired these when his father, Pedro Maria Herrera, a former player working as technical secretary at Zaragoza, was on scouting missions abroad. “When my dad was travelling to Argentina, I said: ‘Dad, get me a shirt from Independiente, River Plate or Boca Juniors.’ My dad had to do it. My heart is from Real Zaragoza but I love everything football.’’
Zaragoza features frequently in Herrera’s conversation. “I’m a little bit of a footballing romantic. You have to support your local team – always. My idols were Gus Poyet and Nayim. You can admire players from the biggest teams but my idols were from Real Zaragoza. They were my team, are my team, and will be my team always. You can change your wife, you can change your girlfriend but you cannot change your football team.
“My dad played 200 games in the first division in Spain but not in very big clubs - Real Zaragoza, Celta Vigo and Salamanca. When I was young my dad worked in Real Zaragoza, as technical secretary. He had to watch games and sometimes when he was travelling, watching another game, he called me when I was six or seven. ‘Ander, can you look at Manchester United v Everton. Look at the No 7.’ I put the TV on at home, watched this game and after I told my dad ‘I like this player’ or ‘I don’t like that player’. I give you that game as an example! Real Zaragoza couldn’t sign players from Manchester United!”
He is admirably frank. “I speak what I feel. I don’t like when I hear my team-mates or players talking like ‘I feel good, the game was difficult, but we have to improve’. That’s normal. We can give something more for people. Every game we have 80,000 people in Old Trafford and away, 4,000, 5,000 and they want something more from us. They want our feelings.
“My passion is football but I started to study journalism. If you ask me if my future is going to be as a sports journalist, I say ‘no!’ If I didn’t play football, I’d maybe do travel journalism like National Geographic. I follow National Geographic on Instagram. One of the things I’d like to do after football is travel as much as possible. Africa is one of the continents I’d like to visit a lot. I’d like to do a safari.’’
Herrera has hinterland and a conscience. He enjoyed helping out at a Manchester United Foundation event on Monday, joining Radamel Falcao for a coaching session of pupils from Astley Sports College, Dukinfield, on a small pitch next to the car-park in the shadow of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. As the statue of the great man looked down, Herrera and Falcao ignored the howling gale to conduct some drills, aiming to encourage more girls aged 14 and older to play football.
Fan teaching fans: Herrera values the support of the Man Utd fans (2015 Manchester United FC)
Afterwards, the pair walked into the Salford Suite near the museum for a Q and A with the pupils. Herrera leant forward in his chair, listening intently to each question, before telling them that his “dream came true” when United signed him, that the player he admires most is “Lionel Messi”, giving a polite “sorry” to any “Cristiano Ronaldo fans” in the room, and also predicting how Adnan Januzaj will “become a very important player for the club”.
Herrera liked the interaction. “Football is for fans,’’ he continued, returning to the interview. “In England, you all are doing very, very well for fans. When I arrived, I saw there are no televised games at 3pm on Saturday so lower-division teams don’t suffer from the live game of a top club. It’s perfect.
“I was surprised when we had to wait 30 minutes for the game with Cambridge to start because their fans were delayed. That was fantastic. In Spain games can be 11pm, sometimes on Monday. It’s not normal for kids. Kids have to go to school. In England, fans are put first. In Spain, fans are not put first. I hope it can be better in the next years.
“The organisation in England is very, very good. Even the FA Cup is fantastic. You play against everyone! It’s an open draw. You can play Cambridge away, Cambridge at home. It’s very exciting for everyone. In Spain, if you are a lower team you can win one (first-leg) game against Real Madrid but you then have to play in Bernabeu in Copa del Rey. It’s not so exciting like in England.”
He’s delighted that United fans have taken to him. “They remember the Europa League games!’’ smiled Herrera, recalling Athletic’s home-and-away triumph over United in 2012. “We played very, very well. But now I think they respect me because I want to work, I want to play for United as much as possible.’’ He has started only half his 18 games. “I want to play always from the off but this is Manchester United! This is not easy! We are 25 players who have great quality.”
Living the dream: Herrera talks about the 'ilusion' of playing for United (GETTY IMAGES)
He then interjected during a question about seeming a “humble” individual. “No, no, no. I understand the word. I am not ‘humble’.” He’s very ambitious. “I want to play as much as possible in Manchester United but I will not arrive here and say ‘I have to play’.
“I want to win trophies with United. I want to be a very important player here but maybe only three or four players in the world can do it in five months. The rest of us have to work, improve and learn not only from team-mates but from everyone. I study everything.
“I have MUTV at home and sometimes I watch the legends. I watch Paul Scholes. I watch how he plays a long pass, side to side. Unbelievable. He has character, passion. Everyone in the squad I asked about Scholes told me he’s quiet, very shy but he was a leader. He spoke only a bit but when he spoke everyone listened to him. That’s the most important characteristic in a leader.
“Maybe it was not the best thing to be speaking about him because now everyone is comparing us! Scholes had a much better long pass than me. I have to improve this characteristic. I am getting better, scoring goals, getting involved in the box, to have chances to score. But I have to learn a lot from Scholes.
“I wish I can play always 90 minutes but sometimes I have to help for only one minute - like against QPR. I am conscious of where I am. I am in Manchester United, the club with the biggest history in England. I have to wait for my moment. But when my moment comes, take advantage of it and enjoy it.”
Team spirit: Van Gaal has instilled a group mentality in his 25 players (AFP)
So what of Van Gaal, the man, the manager and his tactics? “The manager uses this word ‘philosophy’. His philosophy is nobody is more important than anybody else. There is no ‘pecking order’. Of course we have stars but between us we are 25 important players. He is going to play who is better in that moment.
“His philosophy is keep the ball, have more possession than the opponent and the space is coming. When you play side to side three or four times, the space is coming. We have to improve, of course, because we want to be as high up the league as possible.
“Against Swansea we had possession, we keep the ball side to side, we didn’t give so many chances away and we were close to the box but the manager told us we have to ‘finish the job’. We crossed so many times, Luke (Shaw), Antonio (Valencia), Paddy (McNair), Ashley Young.
“He doesn’t like us to be ‘individualista’, an individual just thinking of themselves. He wants us to think as a group, a compact team, helping each other out. We are all in it together. His character is this: he’s fair. He’s very sincere. He always tell you things face to face - criticism and praise. When he feels something, he cannot keep it inside. He has to tell you. That’s important. You know what he’s thinking.’’
United fans constantly debate Herrera’s best position, whether deeper or as a No 10. “I am going to tell you about this topic but I must say (emphasise) that I just want to play. Of course, sometimes you prefer one position than another but now I am not in the best moment to decide my best position! I am going to play when and where the manager wants.
“I played No 10 in Athletic last season but I can play also right side, left side. With Marcelo Bielsa, we played with almost two (central midfielders) and I played more free than Ander Iturraspe. But I can play No 10, No 8. With Ernesto Valverde last season, I played two or three games right side. I want to help always.
“In Spain, the game is honest like here but here it is more physical. The game is not stopping. Teams prioritise attack rather than control the ball. Sometimes they prefer to lose the ball because if they win the ball back they have more space to attack. This is one of the biggest qualities of the teams in the England. They cannot stop. Sometimes I watch games when one team is winning, the ball is far away and they go running to play again. This is fantastic for the fans.”
He talked admiringly when asked about United’s attacking talent. “Wayne Rooney is unbelievable. He’s one of the biggest players in the world and always wants to play. Against Cambridge away. Against Yeovil Town away. Even when he had a big problem with his toe, he never missed one training session. He never missed one run. He’s always helping others.
Star man: Herrera admires the work ethic of Wayne Rooney (GETTY IMAGES)
“I knew him from Spain of course. He’s WAYNE ROONEY. He’s the biggest player in England. When I arrived here, I asked Juan (Mata) and he told me: ‘Wayne always trains, he always works hard, he always fights hard for the team.’ I can learn from him as well as I can learn from Scholes.
“Falcao is similar to Wayne in his character. He’s very, very humble. Last season, before the injury, he was maybe the best striker in the world. He had a very, very bad injury in his knee and he had a very difficult eight months. Now he’s getting better. He never misses one training session – the same as Wazza. He’s trying to help the team always. He’s always in good positions in the box. Maybe he’s the best header of the ball in the world. We are going to enjoy him, I am sure. I’m very pleased to play with him. He made me lose the Europa League (when Atletico Madrid beat Athletic in the 2012 final)! Now he’s my team-mate.”
As is Angel di Maria, who moved to United after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. “Di Maria was the MVP in the final!’’ smiled Herrera, who acknowledged that the Argentinian has had to tweak his style, dribbling less and passing more. “He is maybe the best in the team one-v-one - and Januzaj as well. Now we have a manager who wants to keep the ball, who wants to play one or two touches.
“Angel is doing very good because sometimes he prioritises to play one or two touches before (ahead of) his quality. He puts the passing first. I think Louis van Gaal wants him side to side, and after that the space is coming and he can make one-v-one.”
As for Robin van Persie, Herrera observed: “When he plays with his back to goal, he holds the ball up for the team. His ‘orientation control’ is good - controlling the ball when it comes at an angle. He is always making feints to lose the defender. When the ball is in front of the goal with Van Persie, it is 99%, 100% goal.”
Herrera’s compatriot, David de Gea, must be busy in training, contending with such talent, and also impressing on match-day. “David can become the best goalkeeper in the world. Maybe at this moment David is. Manuel Neuer doesn’t receive so many shots because Bayern (Munich) is much, much better than the other teams in Germany. Here in England, they test David and he makes fantastic saves. He’s also very good with the ball. When one centre-back passes the ball to him, he can change the play to the other side. Unbelievable.
“You ask me about players but we are one team. Our manager is always telling us ‘we are a team’. Everyone has to improve. We want to be in the top four at the end of the league. I’m optimistic because we are improving. We have a very, very exciting three months because we can be in the Champions League next season, we can fight for the FA Cup and we can make our fans happy. They are always supporting us. It is unbelievable. When we lose away against Swansea, everyone is applauding us.” Herrera loves that backing, echoing his passion for the game.
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