‘He was a sh*thouse!’ - Why Herrera enjoyed Mourinho reign at Man Utd

• Portuguese won three trophies at Old Trafford
• Methods not to everybody's taste
• Brought the best out of Spanish midfielder

WHAT HAPPENED? Mourinho spent two-and-a-half seasons in the Old Trafford hot seat following his appointment in 2016, with three trophies won during that time. United have failed to capture another major honour since and Spanish midfielder Herrera, who thrived under the demanding manager, embraced methods that have not always been to everybody’s taste.

WHAT THEY SAID: Herrera has told MUTV of working under Mourinho: “I became an important player for him. 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. He was also a little bit shithouse [like me] as a coach so it was a good time. It was a different football from [Louis] van Gaal, from [Marcelo] Bielsa, from [Ernesto] 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.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Herrera, who made 189 appearances for United before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, added: “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. 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.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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Getty Images

WHAT NEXT? Mourinho was sacked by United in December 2018 and, after spending time with Tottenham, is currently in charge of Serie A giants Roma, while Spain international Herrera is on loan at Athletic Club.