A decade since Herrera joined the Reds

It seems pretty mad to think it is 10 years since Ander Herrera signed for Manchester United.

The midfielder sealed a move from Athletic Club in Bilbao, where he is currently playing after initially leaving Old Trafford for French giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.

Instantly impressing with his passion and desire, the popular Spaniard enjoyed some marvellous moments in the red shirt - winning the Emirates FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during his five years as a Red.

One thing that struck me about Ander was his determination to immerse himself at his new club. In one of his very early interviews, he stopped during an answer to check a language app in his phone because he wanted to make sure he used the right word to get his point across.

Such appetite to succeed was evident on the pitch and it helped that he scored in his second and third outings, against Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City.

Strikes in away cup ties at Yeovil Town and Preston North End, celebrated with the travelling fans, further strengthened his bond with the hardcore support. Eight goals in 31 appearances in his maiden campaign was a very healthy return and his reputation for finding the net cemented his status as an important cog in the machine.

The following season, one game that sticks out is a win at Everton, when he stormed forward to head home in an impressive 3-0 victory. He admitted he had strayed from Louis van Gaal's orders in doing so, but this was one occasion where the manager would certainly have been pleased with the outcome.

However, there was a need for more discipline in Herrera's raids forwards as he was asked to fulfil a deeper role. He took on the significant responsibility of taking, and scoring, a penalty in the home win over arch-rivals Liverpool and also despatched one against Midtjylland but the breaks into the box to find the net became reduced over time. 

He did net the other goal when Marcus Rashford marked his Premier League debut with the famous double against Arsenal but Ander would mature into an intelligent provider and develop into somebody who could come up clutch in key moments when supplying telling assists. I remember him stretching to prod the ball through for Martial to bag the late winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley to spark wild jubilation.

When we lifted the trophy, by beating Crystal Palace, it ended a 12-year wait to get our hands on the prized silverware.

In 2016/17, his influence grew under new boss Jose Mourinho and he made 50 appearances in all competitions, the most he managed in a season at Old Trafford.

No longer as noted for his goals, he was the provider of a calm centre for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to power home the header, with three minutes remaining, that won the League Cup against Southampton at Wembley. Again, it was a key moment in a big game and he showed composure to pick out the Swede.

Another appearance that sticks long in the memory is his marking job on Eden Hazard in a 2-0 home triumph over Mourinho's former club Chelsea. In addition to his unflinching commitment to this task, he popped up with a clinical finish in the 49th minute, to add to his assist for Rashford in a wonderful Man-of-the-Match display. This only enhanced his reputation as a team player, prepared to do what was required to get the right result.

More silverware followed when United beat Ajax in Stockholm to win the Europa League for the first time, and he was again voted star man for his performance. He dedicated the accolade to those affected by the tragic Manchester Arena bombing a couple of days earlier and also broke David De Gea's stranglehold on the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, earning a place in history on the roll of honour.

While remaining an important asset in the engine room, he did seem to save his best for the big occasion.

Another FA Cup semi-final display to be proud of yielded a 2-1 victory over Tottenham, with Ander firing the winner past Michel Vorm, although we lost the final to Chelsea and did not manage to win a trophy.

He scored three times during his final season, making only 28 appearances, as talk grew concerning a move away from Manchester. The decision to join PSG did not really affect the respect he still held in at United, and he posted an emotional video marking his farewell to the club.

“I could never express enough gratitude,” he said. Since then, he was tearful when recalling his time as a Red during an outstanding episode of UTD Podcast and has remained popular with the supporters who appreciated his efforts for the badge.

For him to end up at Athletic Club and be part of the squad that lifted the Copa del Rey, ending a 40-year drought for the Basque outfit, was something that would have delighted the midfield man and meant an awful lot to him.

He will always be welcome back at Carrington and Old Trafford.