Herrera: Winning This Award Feels Amazing

Ander Herrera, the 2016/17 winner of Manchester United's fan-voted Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, gave this exclusive interview to MUTV's Andy Goldstein and Helen Evans immediately after collecting his trophy...

Congratulations, Ander. How on earth does it feel?

"It's an amazing feeling. As I said before on stage, when you see the list of the winners of this award, it's amazing. They are top players and now I am part of the list so I am very happy."

You have a great rapport with the fans, they warm to you. So did you feel you had a chance of winning this award?

"When I first came to the club, I didn't expect what is happening now. The first thing I put in my mind was that I had to give everything to the club and that's what I do. I can play better sometimes, I can play worse at other times. What I cannot do is stop. I just try to work, I try to give everything when I am on the pitch and I'm very thankful for this award."

Do you think you are playing your best football at the moment?

"I think I am in the best moment of my career but I don't want to stop, I want to keep improving. I think I have a lot of things to improve, a lot of things to win with Manchester United so while of course I am very happy at the moment, I don't want to stop."

You seem to have a good relationship with the manager. What has it been like working with him in his first season here?

"Yes, he gave me the confidence from the first day and when you are a football player that's very important, to have the confidence of your manager. When you feel he supports you, that makes you better and hopefully I can keep playing for him for a long time. It's good to work with him, he's very demanding - he always wants us to train hard and to try to be at our best. I am really enjoying the way he feels football and the way he feels the work because I think in the same way."

The young man sitting next to you, Axel Tuanzebe, won the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award. What's it like to play with him as he comes through into the first team?

"I think he's a great talent for the club but overall I want to say about him he's a humble guy. He really respects where he is now, he works really hard and I think this is the way to be. Of course he will play good one day and maybe not as good the next day, the same as every player. But I think he just has to stay the way he is now, very respectful, always training and never talking too much. I think he's a very nice lad and a great talent for the club."

What has it been like in the dressing room recently, working as a team towards a common goal?

"Football is a team sport so the team is the most important thing. I think we have great team spirit, we showed it when we won the first trophy of the season in the last minute when Zlatan scored against Leicester. Then we won the second trophy of the season against Southampton and Zlatan was scoring in the last minute as well. Both of those moments showed the team spirit."

How important is to win one more trophy this season, the Europa League on Wednesday?

"It's so important. We can really make it a great season if we win it because we will play in the Champions League next season if we do it, and the European Super Cup as well, and we will have three trophies. It's a massive game and I think we are in a good moment to face it."

Credit: Manutd.com