Ander Herrera's Journey To United

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has become one of the club's most prominent players since completing his move from Athletic Club in June 2014, but how much do you know about the Spaniard's journey to Old Trafford?

Ander was born in Bilbao on 14 August 1989. His schooling in Spanish football came at Real Zaragoza, where he made 41 first-team appearances and helped them win promotion to La Liga in 2009. Two years later, Herrera moved to Athletic Club in the city of his birth for a reported fee of £6.6million.

As one third of an effective midfield triumvirate that also included Oscar de Marcos and Ander Iturraspe, Herrera became a key component in a team that quickly ascended the ranks of Spanish and European football. In fact, during his first season at San Mames, under the tutelage of maverick manager Marcelo Bielsa, the club were runners-up in the Europa League and Copa del Rey. 

A hernia injury proved troublesome throughout the 2012/13 campaign, however, when a series of big-name players secured moves away from Bilbao, although Herrera's eventual return helped steer Athletic away from the relegation zone. 

In March 2012, United welcomed Athletic Club to Old Trafford for a Europa League encounter that was meant to be one-sided. Unfortunately, the Reds were caught off-guard and suffered a humbling 3-2 defeat at the hands of Bielsa's powerfully energetic side. Herrera played a starring role that night, clocking up 86 minutes of action and one assist for de Marcos. A second-leg defeat at San Mames followed, sending the Reds bowing out of Europe. After witnessing his team's defeat, Sir Alex Ferguson said admiringly: “Athletic Club's work-rate is higher than any I have seen in Europe. But it is not just about their work-rate; they are very good footballers too. They will go far.”

Having played alongside David De Gea and Juan Mata for Spain's Under-21s, Herrera made three appearances for Spain's Olympic team during the 2012 Games in England. With his reputation enhanced, interest from overseas clubs, including United, was reported. Alas, it wasn’t to be and the playmaker continued to impress in Spain, scoring five goals in 33 appearances to help secure a fourth-placed finish in 2013/14. 

Ten months on from the initial reports of United's interest, though, Herrera finally secured his move to Manchester, joining the Reds on a four-year deal. Speaking about Ander shortly after the transfer was completed, Ryan Giggs said: “Ander is a fantastic young player, with great energy and creativity. We believe him to be one of the brightest young prospects in Spain and I'm certain he will be a big hit with the United fans.”

How right he was...