Ander Herrera says he is going through 'the most difficult moment of his career' in emotional statement

Ander Herrera says he is going through the most difficult moment of his career to date.

The 33-year-old former Manchester United midfielder, who currently plays for La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao after a four-year spell at PSG, has made just 11 appearances for Los Leones this season.

He picked up a repetitive muscle injury last season; an issue he has struggled with ever since.

And in an emotional statement to his fans on Thursday night, the Spaniard admitted to have considered "throwing in the towel" in regards to his career.

He wrote: "I am going through, without a doubt, the most difficult moment of my career. A little over a year ago I started having repetitive muscle problems from which I can't recover.

"For someone like me, who is passionate about his profession and enjoys it intensely every day,

"it is something very hard. I feel the same energy and enthusiasm for football as I have during my entire career, but injuries are not allowing me to enjoy and be happy.

"I feel that in @AthleticClub, I have everything I need to be and that makes me suffer even more. I am surrounded by professionals who never stop showing me their help and support, and by peers like no other.

"On occasions, it has crossed my mind to throw in the towel but I would not forgive myself.

"We want to educate our daughters in perseverance and in overcoming the obstacles that may be found along the way, and that would be exactly the opposite.

"I will continue looking for solutions and working to get back to doing what I like the most and return the love of the people around me."

Since posting the message, thousands have backed Herrera, including former Manchester United teammate David de Gea, who urged the midfielder to not give up.

"You still have a lot to enjoy," De Gea said. "I love you my friend."

Juan Mata, another former teammate at Old Trafford, also voiced his support for Herrera, saying: "Patience and encouragement, you’ll come back as you always do. Always with you!"

Back in December last year, Herrera broke down in tears and walked out of an interview after recounting his departure from former club United.

The Spaniard was a fan-favourite during his time in Manchester, making 189 appearances and playing over 12,000 competitive minutes in total.

But the club decided against renewing his deal in 2019 and Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain snapped him up on a five-year deal.

Herrera sat down with United's in-house media for a podcast, where he said he felt his contract situation was mishandled at the time.

When invited to discuss his departure, Herrera opened up: “To leave, it was difficult because six months before, five months before, I was expecting that offer for me to stay,” he explains.

“I don't want to, it's not the moment to talk bad about anyone and I am not going to do it, but after my third season with the club I expected a little bit more from the club at that time.

"I got the Player of the Year award by the fans and the club didn't call me that summer to sign a new contract, and they did with other players.

"That was painful for me, honestly."

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