Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has heaped praise on his former managers during his time at Old Trafford.
Herrera played under Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Speaking to club media, Herrera described Van Gaal as a strong guy with a big heart. He lauded the Dutch coach for his bravery in going ahead to coach the Netherlands despite battling illness.
The Spaniard credited Van Gaal with making him a better player and helping him learn how to move the ball, as opposed to his initial one-sided skill of the player making movements.
Herrera finished off his glowing tribute to Van Gaal by thanking the 71-year-old for guiding the team to win an FA Cup and shaping him to become a better footballer.
Speaking about Mourinho, Herrera said, “He is one of the greatest managers of all time. One of the most successful managers of all time. He discovered a new position for me, he made me a more defensive midfielder.”
“He was also a little bit shithouse [like me] as a coach so it was a good time [laughs]. It was a different football from van Gaal, from Bielsa, from Valverde. I liked it, I liked to be part of the team, to help the team.
Herrera added, “That was more counter-attack football, a counter-attacking team, but after that, at the end of the season, we won three trophies and qualified for the Champions League. It is not bad.”
The Athletic Bilbao star revealed details about one of Mourinho’s iconic moments in the United dugout – when he held three fingers in the air after the 2017 Europa League triumph.
The ex-United man said Mourinho was referencing the three titles won in that season.
On Solskjaer, Herrera described the Norwegian as “one of the best men in football.” The Spaniard went on ahead to wax lyrical about Solskjaer and his humility in the way he interacted with both the players and club staff.
On why Solskjaer may have failed, Herrera pinned this on his trying to bring back the Sir Alex Ferguson way, which was not easy considering the difference in times, players and football.
Herrera revealed that Solskjaer fought hard to keep him at Old Trafford but eventually, club bosses had the final say, hence his exit to France with Paris Saint-Germain.
United Matchday Magazine – be in the know about everything in red!
Still itching for more United content? Get everything you need right here. For just £1.25 per issue/£3.75 a month you’ll receive unique insights into United, straight to your inbox – before every match and throughout the month.
- Get the exclusive build-up to each match, plus team news, tactics and history.
- Not only that – United Matchday is jam-packed with articles, news, transfer news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour.
- Impress your friends and be in the know about everything in red!
