Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Herrera ahead of Man United's Europa final: 'We can make history for the club'

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera insists winning a European trophy is more important than securing Champions League football in Stockholm next week.

United face Ajax in the Europa League final in the Friends Arena on Wednesday. Victory for Jose Mourinho's team will see the club win the only trophy not yet in their collection of domestic and European silverware.

But after missing out on a place in the Premier League's top four, it is the also the last chance to earn a place in next season's Champions League.

Herrera, though, says only one of those things matters: "First of all it's a European trophy," he told ESPN FC.

"That's what I am going to have in my mind. We will have time to think about different things afterwards. It's a European trophy this club has never won.

"We can make history for the club so that's the only thing I have in my mind. Always respecting the opponent because they want to make history, as well.

"But I don't have anything else in my mind apart from winning the final and trying to get the trophy for this club."

Ahead of the final, United play Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday in the final Premier League match of the season. Mourinho is set to again rotate his squad against Sam Allardyce's team to keep key players like Herrera fresh to face Ajax.

The United manager's prioritising of the Europa League has come at a cost with defeats to Arsenal and Tottenham, and a 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday. But Herrera believes Mourinho has been right to make changes to his team and insists confidence will not be affected by the string of disappointing results in the build-up to the Stockholm showpiece.

He added: "I think the manager has played his team in the smartest way.

"After 56, 57 games playing almost every week Thursday and Sunday, even sometimes playing Thursday night and Sunday morning, it's not so easy.

"The manager has experience in football and he knew it was going to be impossible to play every game with the same players.

"The Premier League is very tough and every team can beat you. He knows what he has had to do. That's why we have two titles already and we are going to fight for the third."

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