Three Man Utd stars Herrera said had Ronaldo potential - and where they are now
Ander Herrera felt Manchester United had three stars capable of emulating Cristiano Ronaldo following his exit from the club back in 2019.
The Spanish midfielder, 34, spent five years at Old Trafford and made almost 200 appearances for the Red Devils before making a lucrative switch to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Herrera won the FA Cup and the Europa League during his time in the Premier League but United never really looked like bonafide title contenders across that period. He was convinced, though, that United had the players capable of ending their domestic drought.
He pinpointed Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, and Marcus Rashford as three players who were capable of cementing their place amongst the world's elite, telling The Athletic: "They have the quality to be among the top 10 in the world. Why do we admire Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, or [Eden] Hazard, who I also think is one of the best in the world? We admire them because they keep that form for a long time.
"If they do it, they will become - maybe not Messi or Cristiano, because they are unique in the history of football - but they can be top five or top 10, but they have to do it for a long time and keep it up.
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"It is the same for Paul. Rashford is on his way to doing it. And Paul can be the best midfielder in the world if he keeps playing those games where we are all amazed by him. But to keep it at that level is the most difficult thing in football. To keep at it it is Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, every time. If those three can do that, Manchester United will win the Premier League soon, for sure."
Unfortunately, Herrera's prediction hasn't aged particularly well. Pogba failed to live up to his potential before leaving Manchester United for a second time in 2022 and is currently facing a four-year ban after testing positive for DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone).
Join the debate! Do you think any of the players Herrera mentioned could become world-class? Let us know here.
Marcus Rashford has failed to live up to Ander Herrera's lofty praise (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)It's been a similar story for Martial, who has often flattered to deceive since transferring to the Red Devils in 2015. Inconsistency and injuries have plagued the Frenchman, but he's got nowhere near the lofty levels Herrera believed he was capable of reaching.
Rashford has fared the best out of the trio; he enjoyed a career-best campaign last season, notching 30 goals in all competitions and was rewarded with a bumper new long-term contract.
The United academy graduate has struggled massively this term, though, and has not produced the goods on a consistent enough basis to live up to Herrera's prediction.
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