Ander Herrera returns to Real Zaragoza on free terms after drop

Ander Herrera, the ex-PSG midfielder, has chosen to end his career at Real Zaragoza after the club’s fall to the third tier. At 37, the Spanish playmaker came back this summer without any talk of a transfer fee and said the move is about helping his boyhood club.

As reported by RMC Sport, Zaragoza are dealing with one of the toughest periods in their history. After being relegated to the second division in 2013, they dropped again this summer to third division. In a podcast alongside his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Herrera said: “The club is probably going through the worst period in its history. I wanted to come back to give a hand”. He added: “In a moment this difficult, we have the responsibility to help the team and the club”.

The gesture is also financial. Even though the Zaragoza are required to pay a legal minimum salary of 25,000 euros gross per year, Herrera confirmed he will return his entire wage to the club’s foundation. “I’m proud of my career, of what I’ve earned both sportingly and financially. I don’t need it anymore. I wanted to play for free,” he said.