Hector Herrera writes letter to Houston Dynamo as MLS debut approaches

The anticipation around Hector Herrera's Houston Dynamo debut is growing.

In less than a week, the Mexico international star will be eligible to take the field when the Dynamo host Texas rivals FC Dallas on July 9.

Herrera - who has already begun training with his new teammates following a move from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid after previous spells with Porto and Pachuca - brings incredible pedigree to Houston.

Across a club career approaching 400 games so far, the 32-year-old has lifted league titles in both Spain and Portugal. At international level, Herrera has 100 caps for El Tri, scoring ten times and lifting the Concacaf Gold Cup title in 2015.

That barely scratches the surface of Herrera's achievements to date and it's safe to say the midfielder knows how to win.

In a letter penned to supporters in Friday's issue of the Houston Chronicle, Herrera stated his intention to add more silverware to his collection with the Dynamo.

"I want to thank the incredible people of Houston for the warm welcome you have shown me since I joined Dynamo FC," Herrera wrote.

"My family and I have already felt the warmth, passion and love from the community. We are excited to call Houston our home.

"I have come to this great city to bring another championship home to Dynamo supporters. I've been fortunate to play at a number of world-famous clubs during my career and I know that greatness comes with the expectation to lift trophies. This club is no different: I am here to compete and to win. That's what this city deserves.

"Head coach Paulo Nagamura has already instilled a winning culture in this club. I can see the commitment my teammates have to doing things the right way every single day. I'm excited to begin this journey with them when I get on the field at PNC Stadium on Saturday, July 9th against our rivals FC Dallas.

"I hope you will come out to our beautiful stadium to support the Dynamo and the Dash as we Bring the Heat this summer."

Herrera joins a Dynamo side ninth in the Western Conference and struggling for consistency after a strong start to the MLS season, though that's still a big improvement on the 2021 campaign, when Houston finished bottom of the West.

That improvement is further proof of the positive effect of increased spending from Ted Segal, who became majority owner of the Dynamo last year.

“Ted came here and said, ‘I'm going to invest in this team. I'm going to spend money that's going to help make this team better,” general manager Pat Onstad told reporters on Friday. "Ted is holding us accountable. He's given us an opportunity to sign a player of Hector's quality.”