Herrera return could be on the cards: “He’s FC Porto through and through” | OneFootball

Héctor Herrera has once again been linked with a possible return to FC Porto, after he himself admitted to the national press that it would be a “dream” to end his career at the Estádio do Dragão.

Speaking to Desporto ao Minuto, former goalkeeper André Caio — who is now pursuing a career ‘up front’ in another sport, futsal — analyzed the possibility of the Mexican midfielder returning to the blue-and-white club, starting by downplaying the player’s age and highlighting the bond he has with FC Porto.

“It would be a good move, because right now, being between 30 and 35 years old no longer matters as much as it used to. Players prepare themselves much better now and at a much higher level. He’s a player who knows the club very well, he was captain, he knows Villas-Boas well. I think he has everything needed for it to be a good return,” he began by saying.

After the departures of more experienced names from the squad that won the national title for FC Porto this season, such as Thiago Silva or Luuk De Jong, Héctor Herrera could be a solution to add experience and leadership to the Porto dressing room.

“I think those are two points that become very strong at this level. And right now at FC Porto, because it’s a very young team, people from the club are also needed, and Herrera is one of them. And I think these two qualities of Herrera make perfect sense and could help FC Porto a lot,” he assured.

“Herrera is one of the faces of FC Porto’s identity. This year they managed to turn FC Porto back into that identity again, which had been lost for a few years. And Herrera is a face of that FC Porto personality,” he added.

Even if age is not seen as an obstacle, there is still always doubt among the fans over whether Herrera can still add quality to the midfield rotation, in a scenario where he would end up being almost a successor to Seko Fofana.

“Quality doesn’t disappear with age, and sometimes it even keeps developing because of experience. They can see what is happening on the pitch more quickly than a younger player can. And as I said right at the start, age right now, for those players who take good care of themselves, doesn’t make that much difference. And I do think FC Porto’s midfield would be much better with Herrera,” he stressed.

As for predictions for next season, André Caio admits that FC Porto starts in a position of advantage to retain the national title, attributing much of that strength to the work of the club’s coach and president.

“I think the model they implemented this year, which brought success, and the continuation of the identity that both Villas-Boas and Farioli want, make FC Porto start slightly ahead when it comes to being favorites,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.