Surrounded by a crowd at the Eceiza airport, in Buenos Aires, Ander Herrera (Bilbao, 35 years old) received his first mass bath last Wednesday from the Boca Juniors fans who were anxiously waiting for him, before passing the recognition at the Genea medical center, at number 378 Martín García Avenue, curiously next to Parque Lezama, just one kilometer from La Bombonera. From Lezama, where he picked up his things on Tuesday, to Lezama, 10,315 kilometers away. , and he will be able to compete in the Club World Cup, in which his former team, PSG, will play, as well as Madrid and Atlético, next summer.
Herrera will continue his football career at Boca Juniors, as the Buenos Aires club announced, shortly after Athletic announced the termination of the footballer’s contract after thanking him for the services provided. After starting his career at Zaragoza, joining the Bilbao team, and then signing, with a termination clause, for Manchester United to be transferred to PSG and return to Bilbao, he has now decided to try his luck in Argentina. On the Iberia flight that took him to Argentina, the hitherto Athletic player, who leaves Sevilla to sign for Boca Juniors’ eternal rival, River Plate.
As soon as he landed, Herrera was approached by journalists, to whom he stated that “Boca is a giant, special club. “With a unique story and great passion.” Furthermore, he confessed that, “my father worked here for a long time, “He told me a lot about Boca and I have maintained that passion since I was a child.” Pedro Herrera, his father, was also a footballer and also technical secretary of Celta and Zaragoza, the club in which Ander began to play, who felt like a fan of the Boca Juniors fans. “I was able to experience it as a fan and as a player I have been told that it is something unique, that it gives you goosebumps. I will try to enjoy.”
Ander, who left Athletic a few months ago to sign for San Lorenzo de Almagro. In both cases, the desire to live an almost romantic adventure at the end of their sports careers has had a lot of weight, since the financial amount of their new contracts, although Herrera will be one of Boca’s highest paid players, could have been higher in other cases. destinations. The former Athletic player is leaving without finishing the contract he had signed last summer for one season, after completing the two he had signed when he left Paris Saint Germain. In these two and a half seasons, Ander Herrera did not fully meet the expectations for which he was signed, largely due to the muscle injuries he suffered. In his first campaign, 22/23, he was out for a hundred days due to five ailments that led him to despair, and that even made him consider the option of retiring. He ended up playing only 860 minutes in 20 games, eleven of them as a starter and none of them complete.
Last season their numbers improved. He played 12 games – four of them complete – starting and 15 coming off the bench, with a total of 1,235 minutes, but the two muscle injuries he suffered kept him away from training for 74 days. In the mid-season until his signing for Boca Juniors, he was out for 37 days and played 418 minutes spread over 13 games, three of them as a starter, in all competitions.
For Ernesto Valverde, who discussed the matter with the player on the return flight from the Saudi Arabia Super Cup, “it was his wish and in the end it is there.” According to the coach, “what we will do is give opportunities to those who are here.” Although, “Ander has helped us a lot during this time, the truth is that there are others who have played more. In the end it was something quick.”
In addition to Herrera, another Athletic player, Alex Padilla (Zarautz, 21 years old), flew across the Atlantic to join the Mexican Pumas. The goalkeeper, who has already played five games for the red and white first team, left on loan after Unai Simón regained the goal after his wrist operation.
