Ander Herrera, who used to play for Manchester United, has the chance to realize his father’s aspiration this weekend. The 34-year-old midfielder departed United in 2019 to join PSG, then later returned to Athletic Bilbao in 2022. Herrera has returned to the Basque club for a second time and is back under the guidance of former manager Ernesto Valverde. Despite being a fan favourite at United for five years, Herrera always maintained a strong connection to the Basque region. This weekend, Athletic Bilbao will face Mallorca in the Copa del Rey final, giving the midfielder the opportunity to break the club’s 40-year run without a trophy and make his father’s lifelong dream come true. Learn more about the latest Manchester United injuries as Erik ten Hag braces for defensive challenges leading up to the match against Liverpool. I observed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s response during the match between Manchester United and Chelsea – the Glazers should pay attention. Herrera informed BBC Sport that despite playing over 200 games in the top division, he was unable to succeed in this location. This would have been his ideal scenario because this club holds a special place in his heart – it’s the team he supported since childhood. Although he started his career at Real Zaragoza, Herrera acknowledges that he has always been inspired by Athletic Bilbao’s policy of only using Basque players. He explained that while he remains a devoted Real Zaragoza supporter, he admires Athletic’s approach to competition and their reverence for their institution. He expressed a desire for his own club to adopt a similar sense of identity, which he finds appealing about Athletic.
