Porto has wrapped up another league championship with 1 game to spare in the season. Many did not think Herrera would be there by season’s end but he has proved many doubters wrong this season.

Over the summer, Porto got a new coach and with a new coach, usually comes a flurry of sales and buys. Depending on the day: Herrera was going to Italy, Reyes to Spain and Layun to the bench. The only player receiving any playing time for the first 2 months was Tecatito Corona. It seemed like a lost season for PorTri but Herrera was able to make the most of his playing time. His influence over the squad became evident and his new coach, Sérgio Conceição, started to lean on him. HH became entrenched in the starting lineup and wore the captain’s armband every time he was on the field.

O melhor Golo Samsung da Liga NOS, em abril, da autoria de Héctor Herrera!#futebolcomtalento #votenosmelhores #LigaPortugal #LigaNOS pic.twitter.com/NAsZDF3Zbi

— Liga Portugal (@ligaportugal) May 10, 2018

After a game in November,  Conceição told reporters that he specifically asked the club to keep Herrera as he wanted him as part of the base of the club. The manager went on to say that Herrera is not the captain by chance, he is a “highly respected and loved in the locker room.” His manager backed up that talk with playing time. Ultimately, El Zorillo has played nearly double the amount of league minutes he played during the previous season.  Herrera went on to regain his form from previous seasons at Porto and ended up being the 8th highest rated player in the league [WhoScored].  His club form has started to carry over into his international career. This is music to fans of El Tri who are hoping he can be a force in the middle for Mexico.

The talk of him leaving the club is still there but that is to be expected, Porto is a selling club. His contract expires next summer and Porto will be smart to extend him this summer to keep his transfer value up. The club is not one to let players walk from free or for diminished fees. If he does leave the club, he will leave a champion.

🗣 “Nadie siente los colores del @FCPorto como yo”. 🔵⚪

Las palabras de @HHerreramex tras el campeonato de ‘los dragones’. 🏆🐉 pic.twitter.com/tFZlUGlKNa

— StayPro (@StayPro) May 8, 2018