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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Josh O'Brien

Man Utd cult hero Ander Herrera rejected Premier League return

Ander Herrera is rumoured to have turned down the chance to return to the Premier League due to his past ties with Manchester United.

The Spanish international is currently of Paris Saint-Germain but has been the subject of talk over a potential exit from the French capital with just days left of the January transfer window.

If he is to call time on his Parc Des Princes stay, one place he will not be going is England out of respect for his former side.

Herrera spent five years at Old Trafford from his arrival in the summer of 2014 all the way through to July 2019 when he penned a five-year-deal with the French giants.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Herrera sign for another English club? Comment below

Ander Herrera currently plies his trade with French giants Paris Saint-Germain ((Photo by John Berry/Getty Images))

Out of favour under current boss Mauricio Pochettino, Herrera is reportedly one of a number of PSG stars that have been offered up to multiple clubs, including Antonio Conte's Spurs.

However, Herrera is thought to have refused to even contemplate the idea of playing for another English outfit.

Adam Clayton of The Athletic's Football Podcast revealed as much when discussing Tottenham's potential transfer dealings this month.

"PSG's Ander Herrera was mentioned as a name in contention for a swap deal with Tanguy Ndombele at Tottenham," he explained.

"But he's happy at PSG and I'm told that he would only want to play for Manchester United in England."

Herrera played during a particularly turbulent chapter of United's modern history that saw both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho at the helm.

In this period, Herrera helped the club win multiple honours including the 2016 FA Cup and a League Cup success the following season.

The 32-year-old was also a key part of the last United squad to lift silverware in the form of the 2017 Europa League.

As a result, Herrera is a particularly popular figure among the Old Trafford faithful and his parting message to the club three years ago represented a fantastic relationship between player and fans.

Ander Herrera was part of Manchester United's last trophy winning side back in 2017 ((Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images))

"I want to say thank you to everyone and I hope the supporters have all appreciated that I have always tried to represent every single Manchester United fan in the best way, on the pitch and off it," Herrera said.

"I have tried to involve myself in the community as well and to the level that Manchester United deserve.

"I hope when I come back to see the club and to see the city I will still have the fans’ love and support."

At the time, many interpreted his closing remarks as a suggestion he could pull on the United shirt again one day, though that is increasingly unlikely as Herrera gets older.

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