Herrera: How it felt to win against United
Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera felt a connection with Old Trafford two years before he evntually signed for the Reds in 2014, as he explains in the upcoming episode of the UTD Podcast.
The Spaniard sat down with Helen Evans and Sam Homewood at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium for an extensive conversation all about his career so far, discussing his time at United and also getting emotional when bridging the topic of his 2019 departure.
Herrera’s unmissable episode will be released in full on Monday at 17:00 GMT, exclusively in the United App, on ManUtd.com and via MUTV.
For a lot of United fans, the first time they will have been made aware of the midfielder would have been when Athletic Club – whom he has now returned to as a 33-year-old – visited Old Trafford in the 2012 Europa League.
The Spanish side conjured up a shock 3-2 win in Manchester, and Herrera and the rest of his team-mates rose to prominence almost overnight.
In his UTD Podcast, Ander speaks glowingly about that memorable night in March 2012, and the connection he formed with United, two years prior to his arrival at the club.
“It was my first time at Old Trafford, and I think I’ve said before, when I was there, I felt something special,” he explained.
“I felt like I was in one of the greatest stadiums in the world. We were going to play against the biggest club in the UK by far, and I was happy to have that opportunity.
“I can also say that at that time I didn’t imagine that I was going to play for United two years after, but it was a pleasure to play at Old Trafford. I remember the fans; I will never forget the fans. After the game how they applauded us and how they gave us their recognition because we played an amazing game at Old Trafford.
“It was a special night. I will never forget that night.”
The Spaniard continued, detailing the impact that the victory had on the rest of Athletic Club’s campaign.
“It was the perfect game for us. We won 3-2. It could have been more if David [De Gea] was not there! He made some amazing saves at that time, and yeah, it was a perfect night for us.
“After that, we beat Schalke as well [and] we beat Sporting Lisbon. [But] we lost the final against Atletico Madrid. At that time, [Radamel] Falcao was on fire for Atletico Madrid, so he killed us, he destroyed us.”
Despite his side eventually coming runners-up in the Europa League that season, Ander explained that the win at Old Trafford was more significant than making the final, as it had a monumental impact for Athletic Club and its players.
“It was world recognition for us,” he said. “We didn’t realise that it was going to be that big.
“When you are on the pitch you do not realise how big that game is going to be, for everyone, for the club, for the history.
“Even for United, some of the fans they still remember. Normally you remember if you win, not when you lose, so that [shows] how good we played that game.
“It was huge, the repercussions that game had.”
Ander of course went on to join United two years later, and remained at the club until 2019, endearing himself with our supporters during his five-year stay at the club.
Herrera’s episode of the UTD Podcast will be released in full at 17:00 GMT on Monday evening, as both audio and video. It will be exclusively available via the United App, ManUtd.com and MUTV for the first 24 hours, before it is then released externally via the usual podcast providers.