Spanish · Bilbao, Spain · Born 14 August 1989Tenacious Spanish midfielder whose work rate, passion and tactical versatility made him a fan favourite at Manchester United.
Ander Herrera Agüera was born on 14 August 1989 in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country, and progressed through Real Zaragoza's youth academy before making his first-team debut in 2009. His combination of tactical intelligence, work rate, and technical ability made him one of La Liga's most well-rounded young midfielders. Herrera moved to Athletic Bilbao in 2011, helping the Basque club reach both the Copa del Rey and Europa League finals in his first season, and later guiding them to Champions League qualification for the first time in 16 years. Manchester United pursued him for over a year before finally signing him for €36 million in 2014, activating his release clause after Athletic twice rejected direct bids. Herrera spent five seasons at Manchester United, winning the FA Cup and Europa League, and was voted the club's Player of the Season in 2016-17, a reflection of his consistent, tenacious performances in midfield. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, adding further domestic titles and reaching a Champions League final, before returning to Athletic Bilbao in 2022, where he helped the club win the 2023-24 Copa del Rey. Herrera earned two caps for Spain's senior team in 2016 and 2017, and represented his country at the 2012 Olympics. He moved to Argentina's Boca Juniors in 2025, continuing his career in South America after over a decade split between Spain, England, and France.
Key role in Manchester United's Europa League triumph
He was named Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year in 2017 and delivered a masterful man-marking performance to neutralise Eden Hazard in the FA Cup.
Did You Know?How They Played
Box-to-box midfielder with strong pressing and passing ability
Lasting Impact
Herrera established himself as a reliable and versatile midfielder across top European leagues, representing the modern box-to-box player archetype.
Career Honours
- FA Cup 2016
- Europa League 2017
- League Cup 2017
- Ligue 1 3x
- Ligue 1 2020
- Ligue 1 2022
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaragoza B | 2008–2009 | — | 10 | 2 |
| Zaragoza | 2009–2011 | — | 82 | 6 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 2011–2014 | — | 94 | 7 |
| Manchester United | 2014–2019 | £29m | 132 | 12 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2019–2022 | Free transfer | 58 | 5 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 2022–2025 | — | 48 | 0 |
| Boca Juniors | 2025–2026 | — | 23 | 0 |
| Zaragoza | 2026–Present | — | 0 | 0 |
 Spain | — | — | 3 | — |
Spanish Athletes