Why cult hero Ander Herrera deserves a contract extension at Manchester United

Usually synonymous with facilitating box-office emotions and permeating through to the hearts of supporters due to the telepathy, infatuation and devotion for a common cause they share with them - cult heroes, irrespective of their overall abilities as footballers - enjoy widespread adulation during their playing career and long after they've called it a day as well.

And it's this infectious bond and affinity, not only with the club faithful but also towards the club's glorious roots, traditions, beliefs and expectations which has propelled Manchester United from a cloud of gloom to Arcadia.

Post an aeon of chagrin, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's previous relation with United acted as a conveyor belt of amiable and breezy vibes which helped him gauge the mentality of the players at his disposal, and subsequently alter it in a positive sense.

Solskjaer has masterminded away victories against Tottenham and Arsenal

Solskjaer's tag of a cult hero at the club is most often credited towards the fact that he gave most Reds the best night of their lives in Barcelona in 1999. Although it's true, it'd be disrespectful to knock off other factors which played a part in him acquiring the amorousness he enjoys today.

Staying on in 1998 when Tottenham Hotspur came calling and he was effectively fourth-choice behind Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham coupled with the fact that he never complained for being a bit-part player for most of his career at Old Trafford and still gave his blood and sweat for the club are traits which entrenched him into the hearts of the Stretford End faithful.

By his own admission, the Norwegian used his time on the bench to scrutinise the movement of opposition defenders and determine the channels which he could exploit when he's eventually subbed on. Come June, the club and its supporters might face the prospect of losing one of their most loved players post the Sir Alex Ferguson era for zilch.

United risk losing Ander Herrera for free this summer

Soon after Marcus Rashford curled in a stunning effort in the top right corner in front of the Stretford End and his teammates formed a huddle by the corner flag to celebrate the youngster's spectacular effort, there was an incident which was a summation of Ander Herrera's career at Old Trafford.

United's summer acquisition Diogo Dalot, who himself was part of the celebratory huddle, experienced a brief interlude, and was given a couple of instructions on how to overlap more often and stretch the field even more from the Basque midfielder - a chalk talk similar to the one which helped United score the second goal in the Europa League final against Ajax.

It is this ardency, an almost infectious sense of gumption which endears the 29-year-old Spaniard to every United fan. Ever since Jose Mourinho got the boot at Old Trafford and Solskjaer walked through the corridors of Carrington with Norwegian chocolate for the club's receptionist of 50 years, Herrera's services have been used extensively and he's not disappointed one bit.

With the former Athletic Bilbao man's contract running out this summer, you won't be wrong in thinking that any player who found himself in such a situation would set foot on the pitch purposefully and do his talking with the top brass and manager through his football.

Except you're wrong this time. When probed for an update regarding his contract negotiations post-United's pulsating triumph at the Emirates, the Spaniard flat-out refused to elicit any sort attention towards his future He said:

"I’m not going to talk about my contract. We have more important things happening now than my contract so I just try to perform.

My priority is to beat Burnley, Leicester… and if I deserve a new contract, the contract will come. I’m not a selfish guy, I want the team to keep winning games, I don’t go crazy about my contract.”

What this kind of comments brings besides a sense of pointed exuberance is a wave of vindication to the United faithful. In almost a strange way, this is how you'd expect Herrera to reply given the way he's conducted himself at United since the day he arrived.

Humble, industrious and incredibly committed, the midfielder has always put the club's interest above his own and is a true representative of the fans on Old Trafford's green.

Herrera's perseverance and sense of responsibility on the pitch are unparalleled

Let's get one thing straight - Herrera, by no stretch of the imagination, is the best footballer at the club. There are other players who are superior to him technically but he has what most of them don't - an almost biased sense of sycophancy from the United faithful and it's safe to say he's attained a cult status at the club.

The likes of Paul Pogba and Rashford will get the majority of the credit for the club's elevated performance levels and rightly so.

However, what's given the likes of Pogba and Rashford the freedom to go on and express themselves is a sturdy shield screening the back four, breaking down threatening attacks and quickly recycling possession in effective areas.

Alongside an improved and suddenly-agile Nemanja Matic, Herrera has acted like a spark plug on the pitch which invigorates Pogba's delectable ability to influence and orchestrate United's attacks.

Both Herrera and Matic have benefited from the departure of intransigence and the arrival of a relatively complaisant approach, and their significant contributions have been instrumental in United's recent upswing.

The duo has helped the team to improve its overall structure and subsequently disencumber David De Gea from his ridiculous workload in matches against superior opposition.

In an era where modern footballers are trained to exhibit insouciance, Herrera's reluctance to conform to the norms, apart from his love for the club, captivates the United faithful, unlike any other player can. Herrera takes to the pitch with an instinctive tenacity - deftly shuttling from one box to the other with an innate sense of doggedness.

Herrera leaves nothing to chance when he takes to the pitch and gives his all everytime

Recency bias might cloud your judgement of Herrera's tenure at the club, however, let's not forget how a majority of United's fan-base wanted him to be given the armband post a scintillating campaign back in 2016.

He takes to the same pitch with the other players and still manages to play and come across differently. It's a weird combination - a sense of controlled aggression and commitment that strikes a captivating balance.

Herrera's will to fight for the cause and leave nothing to the imagination in terms of commitment and dedication on the pitch has been one of the shining lights in a period where the club has been making desperate attempts to reprise its golden age with little success.

The modern footballer is layered and more often than not, comes across as all-encompassing whilst being dangerously consumed by his own hype. Conversely, Herrera's committal nature and ability to execute any assignment chalked out to him without kicking up a fuss can be propitious and provide a refreshing discourse to any man who's given the keys to Old Trafford on a permanent basis.

United could allow Herrera's contract to run down and bring in a midfielder who's technical superiority exceeds that of the Spaniard.

However, when the stakes are the highest, when the all-embracing spectacle overwhelms logic, when grit and courage are more effective than skill and when you're forced to commit that tad bit more for the team than your body permits, you'd always appreciate the presence of a player with the stomach for a battle and an unwavering sense of self-belief - and this is exactly what Herrera provides. Sign him up, Ed Woodward!