After slipping under the radar early on, Ander Herrera has established himself as one of Manchester United's biggest success stories in the second half of the season.

The Spanish midfielder has had to roll his sleeves up to make his impact after a tough start to life at Old Trafford following his €36m move. His adaptation was curtailed by a rib blow that sidelined him for more than three weeks, hampering his chances. "I'd consider it a very good first year. I started off in the team, though it's true that after the rib injury, I had a period in which I didn't feature as often as I'd have liked", he told MARCA.

A nine-game spell in which he failed to last the entire match once was a testing experience, but it also motivated Herrera to double down and show his worth. "I'm pleased to have played more minutes in the second half of the season and I've really felt important in the team. I'm very happy and optimistic about the prospects for the next campaign".

The 25-year-old's stats bear out how he has upped his game. The silky playmaker has scored six times in the league this term, having managed just 11 goals across his five seasons in La Liga - his personal best for a campaign had come last year, with five goals for Athletic de Bilbao. "Having more attempts on goal was one of the targets I set myself on moving to the Premier League, which makes it all the sweeter. I think I can still improve on this front and add an extra string to my bow".

After his initial misgivings, Louis van Gaal seems to have found the formula to get the best out of Herrera, whether as a screener or in a more attacking berth to one side. This is the Bilbao-born schemer's take: "I've played in both positions; the holding role was practically new to me, but I have to say that I've felt very much at ease there. I think it's good for my career to be able to play in that position too. As a holding midfielder I get to enjoy bringing the ball out often, while when I operate out wide I'm closer to the opposition box and goal".