The 24-year-old, who was the subject of a ‘hoax’ bid claimed to be from the club last summer, has signed a four-year deal with the Old Trafford outfit after they met his contract release clause.

The 39-year-old’s claims come as former FA chairman, David Bernstein, thinks England’s under-achieving at major tournaments will continue for the foreseeable future.

Herrera has signed for United after they met his £28.4million release clause.

Herrera, 24, was one of David Moyes’ main transfer targets last summer, and was widely expected to sign for the club from Athletic Bilbao

Smalling’s comments came after Roy Hodgson presented him with the rare opportunity of playing in his favoured position in England’s final group game with Costa Rica.

Ex-Manchester United striker Andrew Cole has backed claims that England players duck out of international duty, insisting that international football is ‘just a bonus’.

Charlton has begun a personal crusade to fight the evil of landmines and has spoken in depth about some of the horrors that he encountered through seeing them up close.

The 26-year-old, nicknamed ‘Little Pea’ and who was officially the fastest player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, scored his country’s final goal in a 3-1 defeat of Croatia to secure a place in the last 16.

Midfielder Herrera, part of Spain’s London 2012 Olympics squad, would become only United’s second midfield signing in seven years after Belgian Marouane Fellaini became the first in six last summer.

Robin van Persie’s diving header against now deposed champions Spain set the Netherlands on their way to a 5-1 mass destruction of their 2010 final opponents and also earns a place in MM’s top five United goals at the World Cup.

The American had been in poor health since suffering two strokes shortly after seizing control of the Old Trafford outfit in 2005 after a controversial £790m takeover