Ander Herrera eyes up fruitful Champions League return for Manchester United

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick and Ander Herrera chipped in with another goal as United sealed their progression to the Champions League group stages with a 7-1 aggregate win.

Van Gaal claimed after Wednesday’s 4-0 win against Club Brugge that even reigning champions Barca would be happy to avoid his side.

“I’m delighted to get the goals, and more importantly it was good to go through to the group stage”, Rooney told BT Sport.

Rooney was being heavily criticized for struggling to score in his first three Premier League games of the season, but the England worldwide answered his critics with a clinical hattrick against the Belgian side to send United into the Champions League proper. If it was going on for four or five games more then maybe so, but it’s early days and I knew that when the chances came I’d take them.

“I think I shall watch the second team because eight players of mine play against Ajax [at Carrington] and I think that is more important because I can not do anything to have any influence on the draw, so I will only hear it”. “If the manager wants me to play, I will play and if the manager wants me to wait for my moment then I will wait”, the United midfielder said. “Such players of that level shall always come back“.

Herrera also praised his captain for giving the ball to Javier Hernandez when United won a penalty – which the Mexican missed – in the second half.

“In the past, I have played No. 9 and No. 10”.

Arriving at Belgium with a comfortable 2 goal lead, Manchester United had to keep it organised and grind out a result.

Speaking with Manchester United’s official website Young said: “We’re definitely confident”.

Van Gaal is expected to sign another forward to add more pace to his attack and there is speculation that he will try to strengthen defence following Sergio Ramos’ decision to snub the club and stay at Real Madrid.

After failing to qualify for last season’s competition for the first time since the 1995-96 season, United are through for the 20th time, equalling the record shared by holders Barcelona, 11-times winners Real Madrid and 2004 champions Porto.