Manchester United: Ander Herrera deserves to be United's next captain

Eden Hazard usually dribbles past players at will, yet against Manchester United last Sunday, the player of the season candidate completed zero dribbles. Ander Herrera had been instructed to do what Park Ji-Sung did to Andrea Pirlo against AC Milan in the Champions League back in 2010.

Pirlo wrote in his autobiography how Sir Alex Ferguson had “unleashed Park Ji-Sung to shadow me” and likened the experience to having a “guard dog.” Pirlo elaborated by saying that the South Korean had been “programmed to stop me…his devotion to the task was almost touching.”

Herrera not only devoted himself to nullifying Chelsea’s most dangerous player, he was Manchester United’s most effective player going forwards. He created the opening goal with an incisive through ball to Marcus Rashford and he sealed the victory with his second-half goal.

It was a complete midfield performance, a man of the match performance and a captain’s performance. Herrera regularly instructed his team-mates as to where they needed to be, something he had to more than he probably would have liked with Marouane Fellaini. Moreover, he embodied Mourinho’s unrelenting will to win on the pitch.

The Spanish midfielder has developed a reputation for passionate performances in big games, particularly against Liverpool and Manchester City. He is now a regular first-team starter under Mourinho and he has been the most consistent midfield performer for the club this season.

Looking at the current captaincy landscape only serves to highlight that there is no looking past Herrera for next season. Current club captain Wayne Rooney is likely to leave next season and should he remain at the club, his diminished squad-player status would surely warrant a change of captaincy.

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Michael Carrick is the current vice-captain but this may be the 35 year old’s last season as a professional. Chris Smalling is next in line but he does not look to be a first choice centre-back for the club anymore.

That the armband has had to fall to Fellaini this season warrants concern. With the departure of Rooney, Carrick and Ibrahimovic being a possibility this summer, the prospect of a captain and vice-captain partnership next season of Smalling and Fellaini is bleak in the extreme.

Consequently, fans will hope that Mourinho rewards fan favourite Herrera with the honour of the armband next season. After all, he has himself alluded to some of the qualities that qualify Herrera for the role:

“I think the most important thing for a player is the manager and the fans. Ander has (the backing of) both the manager and the fans…he knows that he is having a phenomenal season for us. That is why he plays, that is why he had his international debut with the Spanish national team.”

Herrera describes himself as a ‘futbolero’ – a lover of the game and a ‘forófo’ – a fanatic. His passion for football is evident from his comments on fans, club ownership and former players.

His passion for this club is evident from his spirited performances on the pitch, his over-the-top celebrations when on the substitutes bench and his reverence for the club’s past great players. He is captaincy material through and through.