BAD NEWS FOR MANCHESTER UNITED AS KEY PLAYER IS REPORTEDLY BEING LINED UP FOR HUGE SUMMER MOVE

Disciplined Herrera
Few players are as valuable to Manchester United as Ander Herrera. The midfielder has been at his combative best for the Red Devils this season and was recently rewarded with the club’s Player of the Year award.

To beat 28-goal striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the accolade shows how good Herrera has been.

But those who don’t watch United week in, week out might wonder what it is that he does so well. His goalscoring tally is down from last season – he’s only found the back of the net twice. He doesn’t get that many assists either.

However, as he told ESPN FC, his role has changed under Jose Mourinho. He’s no longer a number ten.

“The manager had a conversation and he told me I was going to be an important player if I do what he wanted me to do,” Herrera said. “I am always open to learning. I am always open to adapting myself to a new role and a new position. It is not so easy to play for Manchester United, for example, as a No. 10.

“When you play for a big club, a No. 10 has to score 10 or 15 goals and make 10 or 15 assists, so it’s not so easy. So I say to myself, if I want to play every game for Manchester United, which is my dream, I have to do something else for the club and for the manager. I think we have a good understanding between the manager and myself. We understand football the same way and we think the same; if you give everything, you are going to give things to the team.”

Herrera is the prototype Mourinho player, one who follows order religiously. It’s led to some brilliant man-marking displays – most notably his shackling of Eden Hazard in United’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in April.

Versatility

A selfless midfielder, Herrera considers himself to be versatile: “I can play at No. 6, No. 8 or No. 10. I have been asked a few times about it and I always say I don’t have a preference because sometimes you perform better as a No. 6, sometimes it’s better to be No. 8 and sometimes it’s better to be No. 10.

“I just try to give solutions to the manager. He knows I can play at 6, 8 or 10. Even No. 2, that I did against Everton at home. And if one day he wants me to play as a keeper, I will try my best.

“I think that’s the right attitude and it’s the attitude every Manchester United player has to have.”