School Days: Ander Herrera

Ander Herrera answers our 'School Days' questions, revealing he still has close friends from that time and disclosing why he liked Geography but not History...

How was life at school for you – was it difficult to combine sport with your education?
No, I have the best memories from my time at school. I really loved the time I spent at school as I made all my friends there. I still have them now. So they were fantastic times. I used to always speak with my friends that we would like to go back one day again to revive the days there.

So you’re still close to those friends even now?
Yes, they are still my friends. I have the same friends as when as I was five years old so that is good.

Which was your favourite subject?
Of course, everyone who plays football will tell you Physical Education. We say that, I’m not sure what you call it in England, but something in relation to sport. After that, I used to like Geography a lot. I liked to know where the countries are and that kind of thing.

Has that proved useful now you get to travel the world with United?
I know. I’ve been so lucky that I’ve been able to go to a lot of places. Football allows me to do that so I think I am so lucky.

Which subject was your least favourite?
History. I like history but only when someone tells me about it. I don’t like to study it. I like the stories of history; I don’t know if that’s good English! I like it when someone talks to me about something that happened. I don’t like to read it in a book.

Everybody seems to say they had a favourite teacher. Did you?
I had a very good relationship with all my teachers. I have some favourites but I don’t think it’s fair to say just one.

Did you play any other sports?
Football. Always football. Football is my life and has been my life since I was very, very young.

Did you play for the school side?
Yeah, when I was six, seven and eight, I used to play for the school team.

Were you the best player?
I’m not the one who has to tell you that. You should ask my team-mates or the coach and not me. It’s not good for me to say that.

But were you the captain?
I used to be, yes.

Do you have any specific stand-out moments from playing for that team?
I have a lot of memories, around this time, as there are a lot of Christmas tournaments in Spain. So that’s one of my best memories, that Christmas tournament.

Did you find exams stressful?
No, to be honest, I was not a brilliant student but I was good enough to pass the exams and to keep passing to qualify for the next year. I was not brilliant, which is why my mum sometimes complained to me, but I was good enough to get to university, as I did.

You went to university?
Yes, I went to university but I didn’t go too much because of the football.

Do you have any advice for aspiring footballers who are at school at the moment?
For me, they should realise that only a few get into professional football. They have to study and study a lot because life is long and they have to get prepared as well as possible. It is not so easy to be a professional footballer but, if you’re good, keep training and keep fighting. But, first, study because it is the most important thing.