Ander Herrera has said he had to adapt from being a No. 10 to a No. 8 after joining Manchester United, revealing he was influenced by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.
Since leaving Athletic Bilbao for Old Trafford in 2014, the midfielder has made 182 appearances for United across all competitions, scoring 19 goals.
Why is Herrera so important to Man Utd? Five key things to know…
- Herrera was becoming something of a utility player towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s reign at United.
- The Spaniard has been used as a centre-back on more than one occasion this term, including in the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham at home.
- But Herrera’s role has grown in importance since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as manager.
- The 29-year-old has been partnering Nemanja Matic in central midfield of late, allowing Paul Pogba to roam forward with more freedom.
- United have won 10 of their 11 games across all competitions under Solskjaer.
Herrera’s growing importance under Solskjaer isn’t the first time he has experienced a big change during his United career.
Upon joining the club, Herrera dropped into a slightly deeper role than he played at Bilbao, a transition he claims was made easier by the influence of Xavi.
“I used to play as a No.10, in Bilbao, in most of the games, but when I came to United, when you come to one of the biggest clubs in the world, you realise that if you want to be a No.10, you have to score 10, 12 goals per season,” Herrera told ESPN.
“That’s what [Jesse] Lingard does, what [Juan] Mata does. I could give you more examples. So, I realised that I had to add something to my football if I want to become an important player for the club.
“I think I had to become a No. 8 more than a No.10, and I think I did. That’s why I have played, at the moment, I think 180 games for the club, and that’s why I think the fans like me and respect me… I had to add something to my football.
“I think I did, it worked for me, because I have played a lot of games and I’ve been always useful for everybody in the club.
“The most difficult quality is to make the right decision. Because you can be quick, you can be strong, you can jump incredibly, you can have the best shots and you can be able to score goals from 50 yards, but if you don’t know when to shoot, when to run or when to jump, you’re lost.
“That’s why we have the example of Xavi Hernandez, [who] has been one of the best players in history.”
Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel: sqwk.at/Squawka-Sub
Herrera: Xavi always made the right decision
Herrera went on to heap praise on Xavi, explaining his countryman’s decision making made up for his lack of strength in other areas.
He also noted how one of his current teammates, Mata, shares attributes with Xavi.
“Xavi was not tall, he was not quick, he didn’t have an amazing shot, he was not very aggressive, he was not the best defensively… but every time he was on the pitch he was making the right decision,” Herrera added.
“If he was playing against a very strong player, he knew how to [go] far from him to receive the ball and to give the right pass. If he was playing against the quickest midfielder, maybe it was better to not go to try to steal the ball from him and let him to take a wrong decision.”
“He was not giving that pass always. I remember some of his [short] passes with [Lionel] Messi, two metres, two metres, and then the other team thinks the game is slowing down. Then [Xavi] gives the right pass between the lines to kill them.
“Football is about making the right decisions. That’s why Juan Mata is still playing and playing fantastically. And I always say to him, he’s not the quickest, he’s not the strongest, he doesn’t have the best shot, but he makes the right decision always in every moment.”
The post Ander Herrera explains why he had to become more like Xavi since joining Man Utd appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News http://bit.ly/2DoZyoL
No comments:
Post a Comment