Former Manchester United fan favorite Ander Herrera has taken aim at his old club, looking to explain one of the reasons that led him away from Old Trafford this past summer.
Now with PSG, the Spaniard says he turned down a new contract at Manchester United because he felt more like a business asset than a football player.
“I was very happy at that incredible club,” the 30-year-old said to French publication So Foot. “I am very grateful to the supporters. Frankly, I was immensely happy there. However, at the club, there were times when I felt that football was not considered the most important thing.”
When the publication pressed him on what was the most important thing at Manchester United, he refused to answer, but as the interviewer asked, “business?” Herrera seemed to respond in the affirmative.
“That does not come out of my mouth,” Herrera responded to the suggestion. “I don’t know, but football was not the most important thing in Manchester. I do not want to compare, all I know is that here, I feel like I’m breathing football on all sides. And I like it.”
He doubled down on that concept when talking about his new club PSG, saying, “I cannot talk about what was happening in previous seasons as I was not here. However, since I have been here, what I see is that I am in a club that thinks only and exclusively about football.”
The comments seem to echo what Herrera said over the summer when leaving Manchester United, suggesting that he did not feel fully welcome in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s project ahead. “There were differences regarding the project and my importance within it,” Herrera told Marca after joining PSG.
At Manchester United, Herrera was well-liked by fans for not only his tenacious play on the field both progressing forward and tracking back, but also his constant media availability and ability to answer the hard questions, always taking a team-first attitude. Since moving to the French top flight, Herrera has started five Ligue 1 matches, overcoming a calf injury that sidelined him for the first month of the season.