One Manchester United alumnus was reduced to tears after learning he was no longer wanted by a former employer
The privilege of playing for Manchester United in the Sir Alex Ferguson era left a profound mark on many who once called Old Trafford home. And Mexico’s all-time record goalscorer, Javier Hernandez, was no exception.
Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve both on and off the field, Hernandez’s career hasn’t been all highs, however. And one departure in particular left him in tears after discovering he’d been shipped out.
Hernandez, whose old Mexico team host England in the World Cup on Sunday, arrived at Manchester United in 2010. This was the same summer he announced himself on the international stage at the World Cup in South Africa.
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He netted twice across four appearances when he was still on the books at Guadalajara, but soon completed a move to England for a fee in the region of £7million.
The 38-year-old proved just as troublesome in the Premier League as he had on the world stage, registering 20 goals across all competitions during his debut campaign in Manchester. Ferguson’s side claimed the Premier League title and advanced to the Champions League final that season, where Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona denied United a coveted double at Wembley.
‘Chicharito’ spent the 2014/15 campaign on loan at Real Madrid as chances at Old Trafford dried up. He later left United permanently in the summer of 2015 when he signed for Bayer Leverkusen.
While Hernandez’s United tenure had drawn to a close, he demonstrated he was still capable of causing problems for defences in the Bundesliga. He later managed to find the net 16 times during a turbulent spell with West Ham before joining Sevilla in 2019.
A brief stint in Seville yielded little reward, however, and Hernandez brought his European career to a close in January 2020 when he made the switch to MLS outfit LA Galaxy. While there were further bright moments to be had across the Atlantic for the Mexican, Hernandez was visibly emotional when acknowledging that embarking on a new chapter meant closing another in Europe.
“I wanted to speak to you guys because the thing is about to get done, it’s almost certain that I’m going to LA,” Hernandez said in an emotional video as he broke down in tears. “It’s okay, everything is perfect, it’s only that, well, it’s like the beginning of my retirement.
“We’re saying goodbye to a career that we put a lot of effort on,” he added. “We’re going to look at the bright side, but whether we like it or not we are retiring from the European dream.”
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With his European dream extinguished, Hernandez’s ambitions Stateside were only just taking shape. He found the net 39 times in 82 outings for LA Galaxy before heading back to his childhood club CD Guadalajara.
While he has yet to officially confirm his retirement, he hasn’t featured for any club since last year. Hernandez stands alone as Mexico’s all-time record goalscorer with 52 goals in 109 appearances, while Wolves’ Raul Jimenez is closest in competiton on 47 goals in 128 outings for El Tri.
Jimenez has found the net twice at the 2026 World Cup, most recently in Mexico’s round-of-32 clash against Ecuador. He will spearhead the attack against Thomas Tuchel’s England on Sunday at the Mexico City Stadium.
Jimenez is the focal point of the Mexican frontline, much as Hernandez was all those years ago. And the 35-year-old will be eager to move a step closer to matching, or even eclipsing, Hernandez’s all-time record when he stares down the Three Lions.







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