Ander Herrera is the star guest of our next UTD Podcast and, without doubt, you do not want to miss his feature-length episode.
Of course, Herrera joined United from Athletic Club in 2014 and he enjoyed five memorable seasons as a Red, in which he made 189 appearances, scored 20 goals and won four trophies. As he says,
“I have United in my heart”.
Much like his amigos David De Gea and Juan Mata, Ander embraced the culture of Manchester United and developed a close relationship with our supporters, thanks mainly to his passionate, all-action style of play. He was extremely proud to be voted our Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for the 2016/17 season.
The magnificent San Mames Stadium in Blibao was the setting for our UTD Podcast and we can confirm the episode will be released in full at 17:00 GMT on Monday, in both audio and video.
Herrera’s podcast will be exclusively available via the United App, ManUtd.com and MUTV for the first 24 hours, before it then released externally via your favourite podcast providers.
Our UTD Podcasts always explore the guest’s early life and it’s fair to say Herrera has a fascinating story, as the son of a father who played professional football (once against Bryan Robson!) and later became a sporting director.
Ander provides an incredible insight into his rise through the ranks at Athletic Club and how that historic club operates, with a rule to only use players from the Basque region. Naturally, former manager Marcelo Bielsa and their famous Europa League victory over Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in 2011/12 is a topic of conversation.
The Spaniard then moves on to his transfer to Old Trafford: both the initial discussions in 2013 when David Moyes was in charge and his eventual move in 2014 to play under Louis van Gaal.
Herrera even opens up on the group of ‘imposters’ who pretended to be his lawyers at that time, as well as the experience of Sir Bobby Charlton greeting him at Carrington - which meant a lot to both him and his family.
Unsurprisingly, Ander speaks about his five years in Manchester with a great deal of love and his enduring affection for the club is absolutely evident.
He is also full of respect of respect for his three managers van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His description of them is not to be missed!
There are answers to some burning questions as well: was he aware of how much he annoyed opposition fans? Did he mean to spit on the Manchester City crest at the Etihad Stadium? And could he one day make the move into management?
Most significantly, Herrera addresses his 2019 exit and the reasons behind his decision to join PSG – which is a genuinely powerful moment in the podcast.
Look out for previews of Ander's UTD Podcast across the weekend, before it is released in full on Monday at 17:00 GMT.