Herrera: My Homeland

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera was born in Bilbao and, though he moved away as a youngster, he regularly returned to visit family and knows the Basque capital intimately. Here, he talks about a city he feels has evolved hugely over the last decade and also reflects on how his former side, Athletic Club, is ingrained into Bilbao's culture...

You were born in Bilbao – what sort of city is it?
It’s a city that has evolved a lot in the last 10 years; it has had an impressive amount of growth. A few years back it was a pretty dull city – a bit industrial with a lot of factories and perhaps too much pollution – but I think with the Basque government there’s been a lot of work on improving the city and now I think it’s fantastic. It rains a lot – not as much as in Manchester but it does rain! It’s a great city to visit. It has many attractions, people are very kind and there’s also San Mamés, the great stadium of Athletic Club, that people can visit and enjoy.

As the biggest city in the Basque region, does it have a cosmopolitan feel, with a mix of cultures?
Yes, as you say, it is a very international city. When I lived there I always saw a lot of foreign people visiting the city – the Guggenheim Museum is very well known and it has a lot of appeal to tourists. Also the food is one of the reasons people go a lot to the Basque region. I think as a Bilbao native that the gastronomy is the best in Spain and people can enjoy it a lot. It has a lot of attractions and people come from all over the world. People enjoy the Basque region and Bilbao in particular.

But you moved away from Bilbao as a youngster...
Yes, I was born in Bilbao but left as soon as I was born. First I lived in Vigo for three years, which is a city in Galicia, and then I went to Zaragoza because of my father’s job. But I went every summer to Bilbao to visit my family. Zaragoza is a city between Madrid and Barcelona, and it’s a lot like Bilbao, but Bilbao has the appeal that you have the sea near you. There are some nice beaches and activities such as surfing – a lot of people go surfing there. I think Bilbao is a very comfortable city for kids to grow up; the education is fantastic and it has a high standard of living. As I mentioned before, the work of the Basque government has been fantastic, especially from my point of view, Athletic Club is a very important part of the society. What I like the most about Bilbao is the sense of belonging that the people have with the Basque region, Bilbao and Athletic Club. It's unlikely to see a kid with a shirt from Barcelona or Real Madrid, and that speaks of the value that people give to their own things. I think it’s one of the features that people can see the most if they go visit Bilbao.

Tell us a little about the festivals in Bilbao – Semana Grande, for example…
Semana Grande is, in my opinion, the most representative thing in Bilbao. The festivities are very impressive and everybody is in the streets enjoying that week. I haven't had the fortune to enjoy it much because when I've had the chance to be there, we have played a game, but the environment is always different. San Mamés turns into a different colour, people go with more enthusiasm and I think if people want to visit Bilbao, that last week of August is a very good opportunity.

Do you know much about the bilingual education system in Bilbao, if you moved away when you were young?
The truth is my education was all in Zaragoza, so I can't say much but my team-mates from Athletic who studied in Bilbao speak Basque very well and I think it's very important to maintain your language and your customs, always with respect for the other cultures. I think they have done a great job in that sense, but I can't say much more because I didn't go to school in Bilbao.

Football is the biggest sport in Bilbao, as across Spain. We know you’re something of a football connoisseur, but how obsessed are Bilbao people in general with the game?
It's impressive and something I have lived through. One of the things that surprised me the most when I was in Bilbao was the fact that everybody loves football, and even if they didn't, they liked Athletic Club. It's a contradiction but it's true. A lot of people in Bilbao support Athletic but don't like football that much, and that speaks to the sense of belonging of the people. Sometimes you were surprised by ladies of 60 or 70 years who stopped you in the street and gave you a kiss and cheered you up. That surprises you because generally older ladies don't watch a lot of football or Athletic but Bilbao is special and it's nice to see how older people support Athletic and cheer you up in the streets. They feel you as one of their own. I think it's a very nice thing in Bilbao – the sense that everybody has that things from Bilbao are the best. I think that is very important because when you love things that are yours, you are better.

Credit: Manutd.com