Midfielder Ander Herrera believes forward Romelu Lukaku has a big role to play for Manchester United, after the forward scored his first goal for the club.
Herrera spoke to MUTV after the Reds beat MLS side Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium, and the Spaniard spoke highly of his new teammate.
Herrera praises Lukaku’s impact
Lukaku has already made a big impact on the team, as he offers a more physical prescence up front, and the Belgium international took his goal well in Utah.
Herrera said: “A fantastic goal. He didn’t get under panic there, he was very calm. It was a fantastic goal and he’s going to score a lot of goals for us.
“I want to speak, as well, about the work he does, holding the ball for the team, very strong, very difficult to win the ball back against him. He’s going to be very important for us.”
Herrera spoke of players like Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and stated that Lukaku offers something different to the team.
He continued: “Sometimes, when you’re defending for a long time, you can keep the ball forward because he’s there holding the ball for you. The work he does for us is massive.”
MLS side a good test for Reds
José Mourinho’s side found themselves behind in the game, but responded through a delightful finish into the bottom corner by Mkhitaryan.
Lukaku struck before half-time, and it turned out to be the winning goal, but Antonio Valencia was sent off for a challenge in the second-half.
“Always, when you play with 10 men, you have to run a little bit more,” Herrera said. “I think it’s a good training session as well.
“The most important thing is to get good fitness for the start of the season, so it’s always important to win, but not the most important thing today.
The Spaniard also said that "the most important" aspect of the game was to "get minutes into our [the players'] legs".
United’s focus is on Super Cup
United now turn their attention to three big games coming up, starting with neighbours Manchester City on July 20.
The Reds then go on to face Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in the space of six days, but Herrera revealed the squads focus isn’t on those game, but on the UEFA Super Cup on August 8.
He said: “It’s exciting for all the fans, but the results is not going to be important. The most important thing is to focus on the Super Cup.
“For our fans, it’s really good to see us play big teams, but to be honest, the most important thing is the European Super Cup. It’s already in our minds.”