Herrera's Admiration For Scholes And Butt

Ander Herrera admits he was a fan of Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt while growing up in Spain.

The Spaniard, who celebrates his 25th birthday today, made his Old Trafford debut on Tuesday night in the 2-1 win over Valencia after catching the eye during this summer's pre-season tour of the United States.

Herrera was thrilled to finally step out at the Theatre of Dreams as a United player and now hopes to emulate two of his heroes who made their names in the stadium.

“I always looked at other players at Real Zaragoza as that’s where I played [as a youngster]. Gus Poyet was a role model for me, and then the national team players like Xavi and Iniesta but so were the United players like Scholes and Butt,” he told MUTV.

“They not only played well with the ball, they did great work off the ball too and worked hard to defend when they needed to. They were all big role models for me.”

Herrera hopes to get his first taste of Barclays Premier League action on Saturday in the Reds’ opening match against Swansea. England’s top-flight is a league the 25-year-old has always admired and he can’t wait to get stuck in.

“The Premier League is new for me but it is one of the best leagues in the world and I am at the best club in the world. I can’t wait to play in front of the fans and I hope I can help the team achieve our objectives.”

On working with Louis van Gaal, Herrera added: “He is our leader. We are very happy to work with him. He is very honest which is what all the players want. It’s great to have a coach who is always very honest.

“I can play in different positions, but I will play wherever the manager wants me to. I don’t have a preference because I am a team player and the team is always the most important thing.”