"He discovered a new position for me" - Former Manchester United star praises Jose Mourinho

Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has hailed Jose Mourinho, who previously managed the Red Devils, as one of the best managers of all time.

Mourinho is undoubtedly one of the best managers of his generation and perhaps of all time. He has coached a number of clubs in four different countries so far, achieving success wherever he goes.

The Portuguese tactician has managed some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Chelsea. He also notably had a spell with Manchester United between 2016 and 2018.

Mourinho's time at Old Trafford did not go as well as his stints with his previous clubs. While he won three trophies, including the UEFA Europa League, with the club in his first season, he could not lead them to Premier League glory.

Herrera, though, was among the players who enjoyed their time under the Portuguese's management. The Athletic Bilbao star has fondly looked back at his spell under him.

Herrera pointed towards Mourinho's success as a manager to drive home the point that he is one of the best in the business. He also expressed his gratitude towards the tactician for enabling him to play in a new position. He said on the UTD Podcast:

“He is one of the greatest managers of all time. One of the most successful managers of all time. He discovered a new position for me, he made me a more defensive midfielder."

The former Manchester United midfielder also credited Mourinho for being able to represent the Spanish national team in 2016. He added:

"In the first season, we won three trophies: the Community Shield, the Europa League, and League Cup. And we qualified for the Champions League so it was a very successful season."

“I became an important player for him as well. He made me go to the national team as well. That was a key moment in my career. Also with him, I got the fans' Player of the Season award and I am so thankful about our time together."

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"I liked to be part of the team" - Herrera on playing under Mourinho at Manchester United

Herrera went on to parallels between Mourinho and himself before explaining how the manager is different from the other coaches he has worked under. The 33-year-old stressed that he enjoyed being a part of the Manchester United team. He said:

"He was also a little bit s**thouse [like me] as a coach so it was a good time [laughs]. It was a different football from [Louis] van Gaal, from [Marcelo] Bielsa, from [Earnesto] Valverde. I liked it, I liked to be part of the team, to help the team."

"That was more counter-attack football, a counter-attack team, but after that, at the end of the season, we won three trophies and qualified for the Champions League. It is not bad.”

Herrera played 101 matches under Mourinho at Manchester United, contributing towards 19 goals in the process.