Ander Herrera is one of several Manchester United players who will be wondering about his future under Jose Mourinho.
While at Athletic Bilbao, he played against Mourinho’s Real Madrid side several times. But like many of his peers, the talented attacking midfielder has not enjoyed a stand-out season.
Herrera, 26, moved to England in part because he was infatuated by English football, the fan culture and competitions like the FA Cup. And on Saturday in Louis van Gaal’s final game, he became an FA Cup winner.
Herrera did not get off the bench, a shame given he had featured in every other game on the road to Wembley.
In a three-minute cameo in the semi-final against Everton, Herrera also set up Anthony Martial’s dramatic late winner.
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“It was important with the assist,” he said after the final. “Today I am not a protagonist. I will enjoy it the all same, but today there are different protagonists.”
Herrera was beaming.
“The happiness in the dressing room is massive,” he said. “The FA Cup is very important for all of us. It’s a fantastic competition. When you go back and see how much we suffered, and how much we had to fight to be here, you can see the value.
“Shrewsbury away, Derby County away, we equalised in the last minute against West Ham then beat them away and beat Everton in the last minute.
“We have a fantastic team spirit and everyone is very happy.”
The players were overjoyed after Saturday, but the manager is being changed because United have not been good enough this season.
“You know it’s been a difficult season for all of us,” Herrera said. “We didn’t go through in the [Uefa] Champions League. In the Premier League we finished fifth, so to win this trophy is very important. It has not been a great season, but this club is special because even in the transition moments of this club we can get a trophy.
“Not every club can do that. We know how big this club is.”
There will be more changes at United, but Herrera thinks the FA Cup win can be the start of more success. “We have a chance to get another title when we come back because we have to play against Leicester for the Community Shield,” he says.
“When you want to create a big team, it’s easier to build it after winning titles. Something good is being cooked up in this club. The young players are giving us a lot of energy, a lot of new things and also the experienced players are very important for us.”
That is all very well and good, but United have underwhelmed this season.
“We can be very optimistic but we have to be realistic,” the former Real Zaragoza and Athletic Club player said. “We have won the FA Cup but we cannot say we have had a great season. Manchester United should be fighting for every title.”
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Maybe under the new manager they will. Herrera is positive.
“The mix is going to be very good for all of us,” he said. “We can all take advantage of that. The energy of the young lads is fantastic. We also have half and half players in the dressing room like me.
“There’s experience with Ash [Young], Wayne [Rooney] and Mike [Carrick]. I think something good is coming and I want to be part of that.”
Jose Mourinho is likely to be the man who decides. The question is whether he will decide if homegrown players such as Saturday’s match-winner Jesse Lingard have a future at Old Trafford.
“Jesse has surprised me this season because I didn’t expect that he was going to settle down in the team as well as he has done,” Herrera says. “But I don’t want to pick out just one. We all have to create a good team. I think we need something from everyone and Jesse has been fantastic.
“He’s scored the winner but this competition is for everyone because we have all helped the team to win it.”
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