.jpg) Herrera playing forParis Saint-Germain in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ander Herrera Agüera[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1989-08-14)14 August 1989 (age 36)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder[4] | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | 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 | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Spain U20 | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Spain U21 | 15 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Spain Olympic | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Spain | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 February 2026 | |||||||||||||||||
Ander Herrera Agüera (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈandeɾeˈreɾaaˈɣweɾa]; born 14 August 1989) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forArgentine Primera División clubBoca Juniors.
Herrera began his career atZaragoza, before moving to Athletic Bilbao in 2011 and then toManchester United for €36 million in 2014. With the English club, he won theFA Cup,FA Community Shield,EFL Cup andUEFA Europa League (in which he was namedman of the match in thefinal), and was named as their player of the year for the2016–17 season. He moved toParis Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2019, winning the domestic quadruple and starting in theUEFA Champions League final againstBayern Munich in his first season, where PSG lost 1–0. At PSG, Herrera wonLigue 1, theCoupe de France, and theTrophée des Champions all twice, and theCoupe de la Ligue once. In 2022, he returned to Athletic Bilbao, first on loan before a permanent move in January 2023, he was part of the2023–24 Copa del Rey winning squad with Bilbao.
Herrera has won tournaments with Spain atunder-20 andunder-21 level, and represented his nation at the2012 Summer Olympics. He made his senior international debut forLa Roja in November 2016, but would only ever make two appearances, his final one being in March 2017.
Born inBilbao, Basque Country,[5] Herrera began his career atReal Zaragoza and made his professional debut in theSegunda División in the2008–09 season. He made 19 appearances that season as theAragonese club made an immediate return toLa Liga. He made his top-flight debut on 29 August 2009, in a 1–0 home win againstTenerife.[6]
During the2009–10 campaign, Herrera was one of Zaragoza's most used players as the club managed to retain its top-flight status. He scored his first league goal on 6 December, but in a 4–1 away defeat toMallorca.[7]
In2010–11, Herrera continued to feature regularly for Zaragoza, under bothJosé Aurelio Gay and his successorJavier Aguirre.[citation needed]
On 7 February 2011, Herrera agreed to joinAthletic Bilbao on a five-year contract for a reported €7.5 million effective as of 1 July. Buyout clauses were set at €36 million in his first three seasons and €40 million in the remainder.[8]
Herrera made his official debut for Athletic Bilbao on 18 August 2011, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw againstTrabzonspor in the2011–12 UEFA Europa League. He appeared in 54 official matches and scored four goals in his first season with theBasque club, who reached the finals of both theCopa del Rey and theEuropa League. In his third andfinal season he played 33 league games as Athletic qualified for theUEFA Champions League for the first time in 16 years.[citation needed]
Herrera was the subject of a£24 million offer fromManchester United in August 2013, but the bid was rejected by Athletic Bilbao.[9] A year later, Manchester United tried to sign him again. On 26 June 2014, Athletic announced on their official website that they had rejected a €36 million (£28.85 million) bid from Manchester United for Herrera.[10] Athletic Bilbao later confirmed that Herrera had activated his buyout clause, allowing United to sign him.[11] Manchester United announced on the same day they had completed the signing of Herrera on a four-year contract, pending the receipt of an International Transfer Certificate.[12]
Herrera made his debut in the opening game of thePremier League season on 16 August, a 2–1 home defeat toSwansea City. He played 67 minutes before being substituted forMarouane Fellaini.[13] Herrera picked up an injury during training and missed Manchester United's next two games againstSunderland andBurnley.[14] In his first game back after returning from injury, againstQueens Park Rangers on 14 September 2014, he scored his first goal for the club and made an assist as Manchester United won the game 4–0.[15] He scored again in United's next game, flicking inÁngel Di María's shot with his heel in their 5–3 defeat to newly promotedLeicester City on 21 September.[16]
Herrera scored his firstFA Cup goal with a dipping effort in a third round tie againstYeovil Town on 4 January 2015.[17] Herrera followed his cup goal against Yeovil with an important equalising goal againstPreston North End in the FA Cup fifth round; United would go on to win the tie 3–1 and progress to the quarter final stage.[18] Herrera started a Premier League game for the first time since 2 December against Swansea City, scoring United's only goal – his fifth of the season – in a 2–1 defeat.[19] On 4 April, Herrera scored the first brace of his career to help United beatAston Villa 3–1; he was also namedman of the match for his performances.[20]
On 26 August 2015, in his first start of the season, he provided an assist forWayne Rooney's second goal and scored the fourth goal in a 4–0 win (7–1 aggregate) over Belgian sideClub Brugge in the second leg of theirChampions League play-off.[21] He scored his second goal of the season from the penalty spot in Manchester United's 3–1 home win over Liverpool on 12 September.[22] His good form continued with a man-of-the-match performance in a 3–0 win againstEverton at Goodison Park, in which he scored United's second – heading in from aMarcos Rojo cross, and assisting Rooney's goal in the second half.[23]
On 25 February 2016, Herrera scored his first European goal at Old Trafford – a powerfully converted penalty in the latter stages of a 5–1 win overMidtjylland, in the Round of 32 of theEuropa League.[24] Later that week, on 28 February, Herrera scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory overArsenal.[25] On 23 April, Herrera featured in United's triumph in theFA Cup Semi-final overEverton atWembley; on as an 87th-minute substitute forMarouane Fellaini with the score tied at 1–1, Herrera played a one-two withAnthony Martial, sending the Frenchman through on goal to score a dramatic injury-time winner to seal a 2–1 win and send United through to the final.[26] United went on to beatCrystal Palace 2–1 inthe final, securing the cup and Herrera's first major honour with United.[27]
Herrera's role initially remained limited to substitute appearances under new manager,José Mourinho, with Fellaini preferred in midfield alongside world record signingPaul Pogba. Herrera did, however, start in United'sLeague Cup third round tie versusNorthampton Town, and duly registered his first goal of the 2016–17 campaign in his side's 3–1 victory.[28] He was subsequently retained in the starting line-up for the Premier League game against championsLeicester City, and helped his side register a comfortable 4–1 win.[29] Herrera was roundly lauded for his performances both against Leicester City and in the games that followed, and was named man of the match for helping Manchester United restrict free-scoringLiverpool to a 0–0 draw atAnfield.[30]
On 26 February, he was named in the starting XI for the2017 EFL Cup Final win againstSouthampton atWembley, and contributed an assist forZlatan Ibrahimović's second goal of the match which gave United a 3–2 lead and eventually proved to be the winning goal and secured Herrera's second major trophy with United.[31] Having been sent off againstChelsea on 13 March atStamford Bridge in their FA Cup quarter-final match,[32] he turned in a man of the match display on 16 April against the same team atOld Trafford in the Premier League by shacklingEden Hazard,[33] assistingMarcus Rashford for the first goal, then himself getting on the scoresheet with the second goal for a 2–0 win which kept United in the hunt for a top-four finish and extended their unbeaten run to twenty-two matches.[34][35]
On 18 May 2017, Herrera was presented with theSir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.[36] After helping Manchester United win the2017 UEFA Europa League Final on 24 May, Herrera was awarded the game'sman of the match accolade, which he dedicated to victims of theManchester Arena bombing that occurred a few days earlier.[37]
Herrera's chances of playing looked to be diminishing with the arrival ofNemanja Matić, but he remained with the team and fought for his place. On 26 January 2018, he scored his first goal of the season in a 4–0FA Cup fourth round win againstYeovil Town.[38] On 21 April, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win overTottenham in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.[39]
Following the November international break, Herrera was part of Manchester United's starting eleven to playSouthampton. The match saw Herrera score his first goal of the season, being the equaliser in the 2–2 draw.[40] Herrera also started in United's midweek game againstArsenal where he provided the assist for United's first goal byMartial.[41] Herrera started in United's first match withOle Gunnar Solskjær as manager, which saw Herrera score the second goal of the match which saw United beatCardiff City 5–1.[42] On 18 February 2019, Herrera scored the first in a 2–0 win overChelsea, securing United's place in thesixth round of the FA Cup.[43] On 1 March, Herrera was announced as Manchester United's February player of the month.[44]
On 11 May 2019, it was confirmed that Herrera would be leaving United at the end of the season.[45]
On 4 July 2019, Herrera had signed a five-year contract withLigue 1 championsParis Saint-Germain (PSG).[46] On 14 September, he made his league debut for PSG, coming on as a substitute forPablo Sarabia in a 1–0 win overStrasbourg.[47] Herrera scored his first goal for the club in a 4–4 league draw againstAmiens on 15 February 2020.[48] In his first season at PSG, Herrera won the Ligue 1, theCoupe de France, theCoupe de la Ligue, theTrophée des Champions, and was runner-up in the UEFA Champions League.[49][50] In his second season in Paris, Herrera scored one goal in 45 matches as the club won the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.[51][52][53]
On 11 September 2021, Herrera scored a brace in a 4–0 league win overClermont, the second brace of his career.[54][55] Four days later, he scored his first Champions League goal in the competition proper, a low-driven, left-footed shot from the middle of thepenalty area in a 1–1 draw against Club Brugge.[56][57]
On 27 August 2022, Herrera returned to Athletic Bilbao on loan.[58][59][60] A day later he was presented, with the number 23, at San Mamés in front of 2,000 fans.[61][62] On 17 September he made his second debut as aLion in a home victory overRayo Vallecano, replacingOihan Sancet.[63] On 18 October in his first start, he provided a backheel pass toIñaki Williams to score in the first minute of the fixture againstGetafe.[64]
On 31 January 2023, Athletic exercised their purchase option at no cost.[65][66] On 2 March, he issued a statement expressing his concern about the continuous muscle injuries he was suffering throughout the season which were preventing him from having a sustained run of games.[67][68] On 22 April, after three months without starting, he was in the lineup in a win overAlmería.[69] In his second season, he was part of the squad which won theCopa del Rey, although he was an unused substitute inthe final against Mallorca.[70] On 13 June 2024, he extended his contract until 2025.[71]
On 17 January 2025, Athletic Bilbao andBoca Juniors reached an agreement on the transfer of Herrera.[72]
.jpg)
Herrera was a member of theSpain under-20 squad which won gold infootball at the 2009 Mediterranean Games inPescara, Italy.[73]
Herrera was selected bySpain under-21 coachLuis Milla for the2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark. On 12 June, in the group stage opener againstEngland, he scored a controversial goal in an eventual 1–1 draw.[74] In the final againstSwitzerland, through another header, Herrera netted the first goal in an eventual 2–0 win inAarhus.[75] He played for Spain at the2012 Summer Olympics.[76]
He received his firstsenior call-up on 3 October 2016, for2018 World Cup qualification fixtures againstItaly andAlbania, but did not feature in either game.[77] He made his senior international debut againstEngland, atWembley, on 15 November 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–2 draw.[78]
During his time at Manchester United, Herrera's style of play led to comparisons withPaul Scholes,[79][80] and he was even praised by Scholes himself as the club's best signing of the 2014 summer transfer window.[81] He is a combative,box-to-box midfielder, known for his assured passing and high energy on the field,[82] as well as his movement, tactical intelligence, ability to read the game,[83][84] and technique, attributes which allow him to be deployed in several midfield positions, including asnumber six, as anumber eight, or asnumber ten.[85]
Herrera's father,Pedro Herrera, was also a footballer who played as a midfielder. He also played for Real Zaragoza, as well as forCelta, and served asgeneral manager at both clubs.[86][87] Herrera has two children with his wife, Isabel Collado.[88]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zaragoza B | 2008–09 | Tercera División | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | ||||
| Zaragoza | 2008–09 | Segunda División | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 2 | ||||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 86 | 6 | |||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2011–12 | La Liga | 32 | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | 13[c] | 1 | — | 54 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[c] | 1 | — | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 33 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 94 | 7 | 17 | 2 | — | 17 | 2 | — | 128 | 11 | ||||
| Manchester United | 2014–15 | Premier League | 26 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[d] | 2 | — | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9[c] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 50 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 22 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| Total | 132 | 12 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 189 | 20 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 10[f] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[f] | 1 | 1[h] | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
| Total | 58 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 95 | 6 | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2022–23[i] | La Liga | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 48 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 0 | |||
| Boca Juniors | 2025 | Argentine Primera División | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[j] | 0 | 1[k] | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2026 | Argentine Primera División | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 440 | 32 | 60 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 69 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 588 | 45 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain
Athletic Bilbao
Spain U20
Spain U21
Individual
 | ||
