Man Utd veteran Ander Herrera returns to Real Zaragoza for free and donates his salary

According to Spanish newspaper "Sport", citing "El Heraldo de Aragón", 37-year-old midfielder Ander Herrera has returned to Real Zaragoza for free and is donating his salary.

Ander Herrera was interviewed by BBC Sport's "Match of the Day" programme and spoke about his return to Real Zaragoza after turning 37 on August 14. The Zaragoza player is well-known in English football, having played for Manchester United for five seasons, making 168 official appearances, and winning the Europa League and Community Shield with the Red Devils.

Ander Herrera said: "I've had a successful career and managed my money well. Now I can give myself this gift—to help my team for free during a difficult time for the club."

He has completed the entire pre-season training and is in good physical condition. On Sunday, the team will play away against Gimnàstic de Tarragona, which will be his official debut after returning to his beloved club. Unlike his previous spell, this time the team plays in the third tier—Segunda Federación—rather than La Liga 2 or the top division.

Ander Herrera came through the Zaragoza youth academy and was promoted to the first team in 2009 after helping the club achieve promotion in the 2008-09 season. He then transferred to Athletic Club for a fee of up to 11.2 million euros, a record for the highest transfer fee for a Zaragoza academy player. In 2014, he joined Manchester United for a release clause of 36 million euros, with Zaragoza receiving 1.4 million euros in youth training compensation.

Ander Herrera continued: "I am very proud to be back here just to help, without considering money, contracts, or other things. This is the last dream I wanted to fulfill: to come home, to where I grew up, to where I was given the opportunity to become a professional footballer. As we often say in Spain, this is coming full circle, and I can give myself this gift." After leaving Manchester United, the midfielder also played for Paris Saint-Germain and Athletic Club before spending a year and a half at Boca Juniors. He had hoped to return to Zaragoza in 2024 but it did not materialize at that time.

Ander Herrera will donate his entire minimum salary of 25,000 euros in the Segunda Federación to the Real Zaragoza Foundation. He has signed a one-year contract with the team, which may be his final season in professional football, though he has not yet decided on retirement. In the future, he plans to remain in Aragon and build his life around the club he loves, with coaching also part of his plans.

Herrera concluded: "I still have the passion, I still have the desire and love for football. Playing in my hometown is the best way to end my career."

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