Javier Hernandez says that it was not difficult to leave Manchester United and sign for German side Bayer Leverkusen, despite spending five years in Manchester.
Hernandez wants to be important again, after difficult year at United and Madrid
Hernandez said, at the press conference in which he was unveiled at Leverkusen, that "I want to go back to feeling important and happy", indicating he was frustrated at United. His last appearance was against Club Brugge in the Champions League, coming on as a substitution and missing a penalty. He says he joined Leverkusen because he "wants to find happiness".
To hear a comment such as that from Hernandez, who in his early years at United looked nothing but happy to be playing, shows how badly the last few year for him have gone and how obvious Van Gaal made it to him that he was never going to be a genuine part of the first team. He went on to explain in the press conference that it was down to the fact that Leverkusen “made me feel important and loved” and “wanted” as to why he was so eager to leave Manchester United for the Bundesliga outfit.
Just after the fallout of the 2010 World Cup, English football fans were left disappointed as yet again the national side was a major disappointment. Eventually being humiliated at the hands of their arch-rivals Germany, 4-1.
Hernandez arrived cheaply as prices were hugely rising
What also worried English football fans is that transfer prices for players after a World Cup goes through the roof and many players fail to live up to their hype, just look no further than Kleberson who won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, joined Manchester United for a fee of just £6.5 million. Yet he even failed to live up to that extremely small fee as he played just 20 times for the club, scoring two goals.
But little did Manchester United fans know that, even before the World Cup had started the club had snatched up a potential star of the show for an undisclosed fee. Manchester United completed the signing of Javier Hernandez in complete secrecy from his agent and family members, to prevent other clubs from finding out and increasing the price of the Mexican nicknamed ‘Little Pea’.
Hernandez huge in recent United history
Fast forward five years and he can boast to scoring 59 goals in 157 games for Manchester United as well as helping them to two Premier League titles in the process. One can’t stress enough how much Hernandez genuinely helped Manchester United to those two Premier League titles, during his stint at the club. From his brace at Stoke including that famous backwards header to his famous second half hat-trick coming off the bench against Aston Villa to win United the game 3-2. He has truly helped United win those two titles, he wasn’t merely a bystander.
However it was announced yesterday while not surprising news, but still rather sad news for some United fans, that Javier Hernandez or Chicharito as he was nicknamed, was to leave the club for a fee in the region of £7.3million to £7.6 million in favour of German side Bayer Leverkusen. With sadly his last ever game in a United shirt was his substitute horror show against Brugge, which in reality confirmed his exit from the club.
After his loan at Real Madrid last season where he bagged four goals for the Spanish giants, he came back to United hoping to be part of the squad yet again, but Van Gaal made it clear he could leave yet again. On joining with Bayer Leverkusen it is obvious from his press conference that he hadn’t felt wanted at United ever since Van Gaal took over.
Hernandez leaving means United have few strikers
It’s a sad ending to what promised to be a great journey between Manchester United and Javier Hernandez, with player and club getting along so well early on and Hernandez scoring goals for fun. It is somewhat another showing of how life at the club is different now that Sir Alex has gone. With just Wayne Rooney as a recognised striker, along with expectant signing Martial from Monaco and potentially James Wilson if he stays, getting rid of Hernandez could be a big risk from Louis van Gaal and one that may not pay off.
157 games, 59 goals and two Premier League titles later, Javier Hernandez is no longer a Manchester United player.
