Ander Herrera facts for kids
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Herrera playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 August 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Boca Juniors | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2008 | Zaragoza | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008–2009 | Zaragoza B | 10 | (2) |
| 2009–2011 | Zaragoza | 82 | (6) |
| 2011–2014 | Athletic Bilbao | 94 | (7) |
| 2014–2019 | Manchester United | 132 | (12) |
| 2019–2022 | Paris Saint-Germain | 58 | (5) |
| 2022–2025 | Athletic Bilbao | 48 | (0) |
| 2025– | Boca Juniors | 1 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2009 | Spain U20 | 10 | (3) |
| 2009–2011 | Spain U21 | 15 | (4) |
| 2012 | Spain Olympic | 5 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Spain | 2 | (0) |
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Ander Herrera Agüera (born on 14 August 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Argentine Primera División club Boca Juniors.
Herrera started his career at Zaragoza. He then moved to Athletic Bilbao in 2011. In 2014, he joined Manchester United for €36 million. With Manchester United, he won the FA Cup, FA Community Shield, EFL Cup, and UEFA Europa League. He was even named the best player for Manchester United in the 2016–17 season.
In 2019, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). There, he won many French trophies and played in the UEFA Champions League final. In 2022, he returned to Athletic Bilbao. He helped them win the Copa del Rey in 2024.
Herrera has also played for Spain's national teams. He won tournaments with the under-20 and under-21 teams. He also represented Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He played for the senior national team, La Roja, a couple of times in 2016 and 2017.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Zaragoza
Ander Herrera was born in Bilbao, Spain. He began his football journey at Real Zaragoza. He made his first professional appearance in the Segunda División (Spain's second league) during the 2008–09 season. That year, he played 19 games and helped his team get promoted back to La Liga, Spain's top league.
He played his first game in La Liga on 29 August 2009. Zaragoza won that game 1–0 against Tenerife. Herrera became a regular player for Zaragoza. He scored his first league goal on 6 December 2009. He continued to play well for Zaragoza in the 2010–11 season.
Moving to Athletic Bilbao
On 7 February 2011, Herrera agreed to join Athletic Bilbao. This was a big move for him, costing about €7.5 million. His contract was for five years.
He played his first official game for Athletic Bilbao on 18 August 2011. It was a Europa League match against Trabzonspor. In his first season, he played 54 games and scored four goals. Athletic Bilbao reached the finals of both the Copa del Rey and the Europa League that year. In his third and final season with Athletic, he played 33 league games. He helped the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 16 years.
Time at Manchester United
Manchester United tried to sign Herrera in 2013, but Athletic Bilbao said no. A year later, on 26 June 2014, Manchester United tried again. This time, Herrera activated his buyout clause, which meant he could leave. Manchester United then signed him on a four-year contract for €36 million.
First Season (2014–15)
Herrera made his debut for Manchester United on 16 August 2014. It was a Premier League game against Swansea City. He scored his first goal for the club on 14 September 2014 against Queens Park Rangers. He also set up another goal in that 4–0 win. He scored again in the next game against Leicester City.
He scored his first FA Cup goal on 4 January 2015 against Yeovil Town. He also scored an important goal against Preston North End in the FA Cup. On 4 April, Herrera scored two goals in one game for the first time in his career. This helped United beat Aston Villa 3–1. He was named the best player of that match.
Winning Trophies (2015–17)
In the 2015–16 season, Herrera scored against Club Brugge in a Champions League play-off game. He also scored a penalty against Liverpool and had a great game against Everton. On 25 February 2016, he scored his first European goal at Old Trafford against Midtjylland.
Herrera scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Arsenal on 28 February. He helped United reach the FA Cup final by assisting the winning goal against Everton. United then beat Crystal Palace 2–1 in the final. This was Herrera's first major trophy with the club.
In the 2016–17 season, Herrera became a key player under new manager José Mourinho. He scored his first goal of the season against Northampton Town. He was praised for his strong performances, especially against Leicester City and Liverpool.
On 26 February, he helped Manchester United win the EFL Cup final against Southampton. He assisted Zlatan Ibrahimović's winning goal. On 16 April, he played a fantastic game against Chelsea. He helped set up the first goal and then scored the second goal himself in a 2–0 win.
On 18 May 2017, Herrera was named the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year. This award goes to Manchester United's best player of the season. He also helped Manchester United win the UEFA Europa League on 24 May. He was named the best player of that final match. He dedicated his award to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.
Later Seasons (2017–19)
In the 2017–18 season, Herrera scored his first goal on 26 January 2018 in an FA Cup game against Yeovil Town. On 21 April, he scored the winning goal against Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final.
In the 2018–19 season, Herrera scored his first goal against Southampton in a 2–2 draw. He also scored in Ole Gunnar Solskjær's first game as manager, a 5–1 win against Cardiff City. On 18 February 2019, he scored against Chelsea in the FA Cup. He was named Manchester United's Player of the Month for February. On 11 May 2019, it was confirmed that Herrera would leave Manchester United at the end of the season.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
On 4 July 2019, Herrera signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He made his league debut on 14 September. He scored his first goal for PSG on 15 February 2020 against Amiens.
In his first season at PSG, Herrera won many trophies. These included the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue, and the Trophée des Champions. He also played in the UEFA Champions League final, where PSG finished as runner-up. In his second season, he helped PSG win the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions again.
On 11 September 2021, Herrera scored two goals in a game against Clermont. This was his second time scoring two goals in a single match. Four days later, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a match against Club Brugge.
Return to Athletic Bilbao
On 27 August 2022, Herrera returned to Athletic Bilbao on loan. He was welcomed by 2,000 fans at the San Mamés stadium. He played his first game back on 17 September. On 18 October, he made a great pass to set up a goal for Iñaki Williams.
On 31 January 2023, Athletic Bilbao made his move permanent. He faced some muscle injuries during this time. On 22 April, he started a game again after three months. In his second season back, he was part of the team that won the Copa del Rey in 2024. He extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2025.
Joining Boca Juniors
On 17 January 2025, Athletic Bilbao and Boca Juniors reached an agreement. Ander Herrera will now play for the Argentine club, Boca Juniors.
International Career
Herrera has played for Spain at different youth levels. He was part of the Spain under-20 team that won a gold medal in football at the 2009 Mediterranean Games in Italy.
He was also selected for the Spain under-21 team for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He scored a goal in the opening game against England. In the final against Switzerland, he scored the first goal, helping Spain win 2–0. He also represented Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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Herrera received his first call-up to the senior national team on 3 October 2016. He made his senior international debut against England at Wembley on 15 November 2016. The game ended in a 2–2 draw.
How Ander Herrera Plays
Ander Herrera is known for his energetic and smart style of play. He is a "box-to-box" midfielder, meaning he helps both in defense and attack. He is good at passing the ball and works very hard on the field.
He is also known for his movement and understanding of the game. These skills allow him to play in different midfield roles. He can play as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, or even an attacking midfielder. His playing style has sometimes been compared to the famous footballer Paul Scholes.
Personal Life
Ander Herrera's father, Pedro Herrera, was also a professional footballer. He played as a midfielder for clubs like Real Zaragoza and Celta. Later, he became a general manager for both clubs. Ander Herrera is married to Isabel Collado, and they have two children.
Honours
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2019–20, 2021–22
- Coupe de France: 2019–20, 2020–21
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2019–20
- Trophée des Champions: 2019, 2020
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey: 2023–24
Spain U20
- Mediterranean Games: 2009
Spain U21
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
- Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2016–17
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17
See Also
In Spanish: Ander Herrera para niños
