Believe it or not, it’s already been 10 years since Manchester United announced the signing of a young striker from Chivas de Guadalajara. The transfer was a real surprise for both the Premier League and the Liga MX, as it wasn’t common to see a world-class team to spend money on Mexican players. However, on April 8, 2010, Javier Chicharito Hernández moved to Old Trafford to become a new member of the Red Devils’ squad.
Sir Alex Ferguson, United’s legendary manager, put his eyes on Chicharito after the 21-year-old forward’s first season as a regular starter in Chivas. Hernández left México during the 2010 Clausura tournament, scoring 10 goals in 12 games for his team and finishing as one of the three leading goalscorers of that season. With only three caps with the national team, Ferguson wanted him before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and he made the right decision.
Chicharito was far from being a disappointing at Old Trafford. He netted 23 goals in his first season with the Red Devils, 13 of them in Premier League matches. Although he was never considered as a regular first-team player, he managed to show his talent from the bench. During his stint in Manchester United, he won two Premier League and three Community Shield titles.
After Ferguson’s departure and with David Moyes in charge, Hernández started to lose minutes of play. He competed for a place in the team with Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney, not an easy task. Looking for new challenges, he was first loaned to Real Madrid, and then he played for Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla.
Now, 10 years after his first experience in European soccer, Chicharito plays in the MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he arrived to replace Zlatan ibrahimovic. With the striker so close to Mexico, Chivas fans are already wondering when is the 31-year-old Hernández going to return to the club.
