Ander Herrera recalls vow to 'follow Eden Hazard to the toilet' for famous duel

Ander Herrera has discussed the time he man-marked then-Chelsea star Eden Hazard for Manchester United and vowed to ‘follow him to the toilet’ if he had to.

Herrera had a successful five-year spell at Old Trafford between 2014 and 2019, making nearly 200 appearances and scoring 20 goals.

One of those goals came in a 2-0 win over Chelsea in 2017, although he was given another specific job that day by the then-Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho.

“At that time, Hazard was the best player in the league, with the best stats and everything,” Herrera told the Utd Podcast.

“Chelsea were on fire, and Mourinho decided that I was the man to stop him.

“Two days before [the match], I said: ‘I’m going to try my best. Even if he goes to the toilet, I will follow him‘.”

Herrera, who is spending the season back on loan at former club Athletic Club from Paris Saint-Germain, also picked up the assist on the other goal that day, while Hazard was completely nullified.

But he says the most important thing was, and always will be, the success of the team – even if the individual acclaim is nice too.

“It was funny because I had a defensive role at that time, and I gave an assist, and I scored a goal,” Herrera said. “And Hazard didn’t do too much at that time, so it was funny.

“I am a team player. I am ready to help the team and, at that time, Mourinho asked me to do that and I did it and, if tomorrow, I have to do it here in Bilbao, I will do it again.

“I want to finish my career with the feeling that I have done everything that I have done in my hands to help my team, my coach and my team-mates.”