A philosophy the footballer knows well from his experience at Athletic and would like to see established in the Aragonese capital as well. "I would like us to achieve at Real Zaragoza that young players believe Real Zaragoza offers them the best environment to develop," explained the academy graduate. The aim, therefore, would be to have "six, seven, eight or nine players" from the club's academy each season to support the project and pass on Real Zaragoza's history and values to new signings from elsewhere.
In addition, the midfielder praised the members of Real Zaragoza's academy who are currently earning a place in the first team: "I am passionate about talent when I see boys who bring fresh air. It gives me tremendous joy to see, for example, Tobajas' minutes, to see how Pinilla plays in Tudela, to see how Lucas (Terrer) has established himself in the first team, or to see Barrachina come on. He is someone who conveys a sense of security and composure that he did not have a few months ago."
THE DEPARTURE OF TALENT
One of Ander Herrera's concerns is precisely that some of those young players may end up leaving Real Zaragoza's structure. "It has made me very sad when the boys leave here. Hopefully, together we can convince them that Zaragoza is the perfect setting and that this club gives them the opportunity," acknowledged the midfielder, who left Real Zaragoza's academy 18 years ago and helped the Aragonese club's first team earn promotion to La Liga in the 2008/2009 season.
It is therefore a fundamental step for Real Zaragoza to create a recognizable identity and generate a lasting bond between the players and the fans: "I want Real Zaragoza to have recognizable faces in the coming years. Sometimes we talk about players who have been here and cannot remember who was here three or four years ago. So I believe we all have to build something so that Real Zaragoza has recognizable faces and these boys remain here for six, eight years or a decade."
