Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera has had a ‘phenomenal season’ so far this campaign.

The 27-year-old has been in fine form since playing in a much deeper central midfield role following of Mourinho arrived in the summer and has already made 20 appearances out of a possible 25 matches in all competitions.

The Portuguese manager says he is delighted with Herrera’s performances so far this season and believes he put in a stellar performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after assisting Henrikh Mkhitaryan with a goal.

‘I think the most important thing for a player is the manager and the fans,’ Mourinho told the Manchester United website.

‘Ander has [the backing of] both the manager and the fans. So I don’t think he’s worried about others bringing him to the limelight; he knows that he is having a phenomenal season for us.

‘That is why he plays, that is why he had his international debut with the Spanish national team. And yes, I think our midfield was very good on Sunday, all of them, so I’m happy for them.’

Manchester United will now travel to Selhurst Park when they take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Kick-off has been set for 22:00.