Ander Herrera welcomes competition new signings will provide in United’s midfield

Ander Herrera is not fazed by the prospect of having to compete with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin for a place in the Manchester United starting XI this season.

After a difficult start, Herrera ended his debut season at United on a high last term.

The Spaniard became a regular in Louis van Gaal’s first team, but he will have to fight harder for a place in the starting XI this year following the arrival of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin for a combined total of £40 million (€57m).

Herrera is convinced he will still get plenty of time on the pitch for United this term, despite the midfield additions to the squad.

“We want to play in the Champions League, fight for the FA Cup and the Premier League,” Herrera said.

“When you want to make a good season, it’s not just with 11 players.

“I wish there were not but there are injuries. And there are good and bad moments for the players so everyone is going to be involved in what I think will be a very good season.”

Very few believed United would be able to prize Schweinsteiger away from Bayern Munich, but Van Gaal managed to persuade the 30-year-old to swap Bavaria for Old Trafford.

That gave Herrera the chance to play alongside a player who he has looked up to for years — a man he believes is one of the top five midfielders on the planet.

“He is someone I looked up to coming through the ranks,” Herrera said.

“He is one of the five or six best midfielders in the world and of course I have to learn a lot from him, Michael Carrick and others.

“I always want to play with the best players and Bastian is one of the best in the world. I’m sure I am going to learn a lot of things from him.”

Van Gaal started with Schneiderlin and Carrick as a holding midfield pair for United’s first two tour matches of the summer.

But Herrera and Schweinsteiger have been introduced at the break in both games and Van Gaal has assured the players he is yet to make up his mind about the starting XI for the season-opener against Tottenham next month.

“Nobody is secure with his position in the team,” Van Gaal said after Memphis Depay scored his first United goal in the 3-1 win over San Jose Earthquakes in the early hours of yesterday morning.

“Every player who comes I have said that. You have to win your position on the pitch. I don’t know yet which players shall play against Tottenham. That is the game we need to win.”

Meanwhile, United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone will hold talks with manager Louis van Gaal before deciding whether to re-join Preston on loan.

Johnstone enjoyed a successful loan spell at his hometown club last year, helping them get promoted to the Championship via the play-offs.

North End manager Simon Grayson has made it clear he wants to bring Johnstone back to Deepdale, but the 22-year-old has played the first two games of United’s pre-season tour and may consider staying to fight for a place in the first-team squad.

Johnstone will discuss his future with Van Gaal in the coming weeks and then make a call on whether to go to Preston, but he says any move would have to be temporary.

“If I go back out I would like it to be a loan,” Johnstone said.

“I have to see what happens here first. The manager here gives kids opportunities.

“I have been at this club since I was 10 years old so you have to look at it, speak to the right people and see what the club want from me.

“If they tell me it is time to move on then it is time to move on, but I will keep working hard here and impressing the manager.”