- Planet Sport writer
- 24 June 2023
LA Galaxy provide latest update on Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez as forward undergoes surgery
Javier Hernandez may have played his last game for LA Galaxy.
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez is a Mexican soccer player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy and has previously turned out for Guadalajara, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United and Sevilla.
Chicharito is the only Mexican international soccer player to have reached half a century of goals for the men's national team. He has played for Mexico in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Chicharito is most famous for his spell at Manchester United between 2010 and 2015. He was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary sides which won Premier League titles in 2010/11 and 2012/13.
Chicharito and Manchester United
Manchester United scouted Chicharito throughout the 2009/10 season and sealed his signing in April 2010. Chicharito officially became a Manchester United player on July 1, 2010.
Chicharito scored 20 goals in 45 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions in 2010/11, his first season with the club. He netted 13 times in 27 Premier League appearances as United wrestled the title back from Chelsea, who had taken it off them the previous season.
In 2011/12, Chicharito scored 12 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions. United were beaten to the Premier League title by Manchester City in the dying moments of the season.
The 2012/13 season was a prolific one for Hernandez who scored 18 times in 36 appearances, as United retained the Premier League title largely thanks to the signing of Robin van Persie from Arsenal.
In 2013/14, Chicharito was not as prolific under new manager David Moyes as he had been under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Mexico striker bagged nine goals in 35 appearances in what was a below-par season for the Red Devils, who finished seventh in the Premier League.
Louis van Gaal took over ahead of the 2014/15 season and Chicharito was loaned out to Real Madrid, scoring nine goals in 33 appearances in all competitions.
On August 31, 2015, Hernandez signed for Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of £7.3million.
Success in the Bundesliga
Chicharito enjoyed a successful 2015/16 season for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 17 times in the Bundesliga en route to his team finishing third. He netted 26 times in all competitions and made the Bundesliga Team of the Season, also winning the league's Player of the Month awards in November, December and January.
Chicharito followed that up in the 2016/17 season with further Player of the Month awards in September and February on his way to 13 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.
In July 2017, Chicharito joined West Ham United for a reported fee of £16million, signing a three-year contract with the Hammers.
Chicharito and West Ham United
Chicharito returned to the Premier League ahead of the 2017/18 season amid much fanfare. Joint-chairman David Sullivan said: "We are delighted to welcome Javier as the latest fantastic addition to the West Ham United squad.
"Following the arrivals of Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart and Marko Arnautovic, he is another top class professional who brings great experience and quality to the Club.
"He has a proven goalscoring record in the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga, as well in the UEFA Champions League and at international level with Mexico.
"We now have some fantastic options in attacking positions and, like all West Ham fans, I am looking forward to seeing Javier score goals in a claret and blue shirt next season."
However, ominous signs began to creep in early on, and it did not take long before Slaven Bilic was sacked as manager and replaced by David Moyes. Hernandez scored eight goals in 33 appearances in all competitions as West Ham finished 13th in the Premier League.
There was optimism surrounding the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini to replace Moyes, but West Ham got the 2018/19 season off to a disastrous start. They ultimately finished 10th in the Premier League with Chicharito once again scoring eight goals in all competitions - this time in 28 appearances.
Hernandez left for Sevilla early in the 2019/20 season and then moved on to LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer early in 2020.
Chicharito and Los Angeles Galaxy
Chicharito signed a three-year contract with LA Galaxy in January 2020 and became the league's highest-paid player. He made his debut on February 29 in a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo and scored his first goal for his new club on July 13 in a 2-1 defeat to Portland Timbers.
After ending the 2019/20 season with just two goals to his name. Chicharito enjoyed an incredible start to the 2020/21 season, scoring a brace in LA Galaxy's opening match of the season against Inter Miami CF, before scoring a hat-trick the following week against New York Red Bulls.
Chicharito's fantastic start to the season made him just the second player in MLS history to score five times in the opening two fixtures of the season, Brian Ching of Houston Dynamo FC first managed the feat in 2006.
Records with Mexico
Chicharito made his debut for the senior Mexican national team on September 30, 2009 against Colombia, picking up an assist in a 2-1 defeat. Previously, he had played for Mexico at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
In 2010 and 2011, Chicharito was in red-hot form for the national team. He scored 23 goals in 32 appearances across the course of the two years combined and played a starring role for Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. However, Mexico were eliminated in the round-of-16 by Diego Maradona's Argentina.
Chicharito once again played a crucial role at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Having netted five times in qualification, he scored against Croatia en route to Mexico making the round-of-16 again. Once more, they were beaten there, this time 2-1 by Louis van Gaal's Netherlands.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Chicharito became the first player to score 50 goals for the Mexico men's national team when he netted in a 2-1 victory over South Korea. However, Mexico were once again eliminated at the round-of-16, this time falling to Brazil.
Personal life
Chicharito studied business administration at Universidad del Valle de Atemajac while already playing soccer professionally. His childhood heroes were Hugo Sanchez and Rafael Marquez. Both were superstar Mexican players, Sanchez for Real Madrid and Marquez for Barcelona.
Chicharito's net worth
While Chicharito was at West Ham United, he reportedly earned around £145,000 per week. An anonymous individual claiming to be a former employee of West Ham United claimed to The West Ham Way podcast that Chicharito being the highest-paid player at the club while not playing was contributing to a toxic atmosphere within the camp.
EA Sports signed an endorsement deal with Hernandez in 2013, ahead of the release of the video game FIFA 14.
