Ander Herrera has already played in one Europa League final but if that makes him more experienced than many of his Manchester United team-mates it is only because his present club have rarely given Uefa’s second-string competition their full attention. The midfielder reached the 2012 final in Bucharest with Athletic Bilbao, only to be beaten 3-0 by an Atlético Madrid side already beginning to respond to the newly arrived Diego Simeone.

Bilbao put out Manchester United on the way to the final, along with Schalke and Sporting Lisbon, but when they came across Radamel Falcao and a well-organised Atlético they were out of their depth. “Atlético were better than us,” Herrera said. “They were more experienced and they managed the game well.”

That should not happen in Stockholm on Wednesday. United may no longer be the European heavyweights they once were but they go into the final against Ajax as favourites on account of the age and experience contained within the squad, not least in the coaching department. If anyone can prepare a team to win a particular game José Mourinho probably can – and Herrera is likely to be an important part of his strategy.

The 27-year-old has not only survived but thrived at Old Trafford this season and was voted the player of the year by the club’s supporters. David de Gea had won the award for the previous three seasons, which tells you all you need to know about United under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Herrera’s importance to the side was expected to be overshadowed by the arrival of the world-record signing Paul Pogba but the scrapper from Spain has had arguably his most effective campaign.

Herrera is neat, assured and versatile, in his own words he can play 10, 8, or 6, which means he can cover any role from defensive shield to operating in the hole behind the main striker. Pleasingly, Herrera can adapt his game to each position, he never looks as if he would be happier or better used elsewhere on the pitch. He can do something else as well, he can follow instructions and he can follow an opponent all afternoon, best exemplified when he man-marked Eden Hazard out of the game when United beat Chelsea. Van Gaal never seemed wholly convinced by a player who was already a United target when he joined the club in 2014 but Herrera’s snappy aggression and non-stop, whole-hearted performances have been exactly what Mourinho would have asked for.

There is no doubt the player’s feistiness on the pitch is what endears him to United fans. In a team frequently criticised for being laboured or lethargic Herrera stands out as a bundle of energy. The energy is not always directed at opponents, a fair amount of it is aimed at the referee and what is left over is often used to gee up team-mates but Herrera is not one of those players who drifts through games looking unruffled or indifferent. He cares, he gets worked up and he does not mind admitting it.

“I’m not perfect but I always try to give of my best,” he said recently. “I never want to feel at the end of a game that I still have some energy left. At this club the fans have seen some incredible players over the years and you must always be aware of what a privilege it is to play for Manchester United.”

Herrera has not only been able to win over the fans by putting such words into deeds, he also forced Gary Neville to backtrack. The former United player turned pundit was not initially impressed by what he saw, suggesting Herrera was “too nice” to be a destructive force in midfield. After three years he has revised his opinion.

He looks like a fighter now. If there's a job to be done on the pitch it is usually him doing it Gary Neville

Herrera is still never going to be mistaken for Roy Keane in a bad mood, though he has displayed tenacity on the pitch as well as off it. He has sometimes had to fight for his shirt and has done so willingly, while he has been remarkably consistent whether used as a defensive midfielder or further up the field. “He looks like a fighter now,” Neville said. “If there’s a job to be done on the pitch it is usually him doing it.”

The difference is probably confidence and a regular place. Herrera has grown into his role at United and Mourinho has made sure he knows he is valued. Herrera was delighted to receive the player of the year award from De Gea, a player he has long admired, though, typically, not about to get above himself.

“It’s not about what I have done, this is a team sport,” he said. “We have in our hands the chance to make history for the club but if we are going to win the trophy we will need hard work from everyone.

“We are a team who is together. Even [injured] Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be there to help and support us, and we have players like Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney who have been European champions. Not every player in our dressing room has played in a European final but people who know what it is like can push us to be prepared.”