Javier Hernández: 20 years since ‘Chicharito’ made his Chivas debut | OneFootball

September 9, 2006, was forever etched in Javier Hernández’s career. That day, a young ‘Chicharito’ made his debut for Chivas at Estadio Jalisco, and he did it in the best way possible: with a goal. That was the beginning of the professional journey of Mexico’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most outstanding talents to come out of the Cantera Rojiblanca.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of that date, today we look back at how ‘Chicharito’ made his dream debut with Chivas.

The first goal on his debut

On Matchday 7 of the 2006 Apertura Tournament, the Rebaño Sagrado hosted Necaxa. With the home side leading 3-0, head coach José Manuel 'Chepo' de la Torre decided to give minutes to a young striker with great potential.

Wearing number 45, in the 82nd minute, Javier Hernández came on as a substitute for OmarBravo. Just five minutes after stepping onto the pitch, ‘Chicharito’ received the ball inside the box, cut past his defender, and finished with his right foot to seal the rout with the final 4-0.

The birth of a European career from the Cantera Rojiblanca

That night in Guadalajara, the goal against Necaxa was the result of the work he had put in at the Cantera Rojiblanca and marked the start of an international career that took him to clubs such as Manchester United, where he scored 59 goals and played a key role in winning two Premier League titles.

His performances with the Red Devils earned him a move to Real Madrid, where he was part of the squad that won the Club World Cup. He later went on to play for other European clubs, such as Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored 39 goals and recorded nine assists. He also wore West Ham’s colors for two years before joining Sevilla, his final club in Europe.

Later, ‘Chicharito’ moved to MLS to play for LA Galaxy, where he made 83 appearances, scored 39 goals, and recorded seven assists.

Mexico National Team’s all-time leading scorer

Javier Hernández also built a historic career with El Tri. Throughout his time with the national team, ‘Chicharito’ established himself as the all-time leading scorer in Mexico National Team history with 52 goals. He won the 2011 Gold Cup with El Tri, a tournament in which he was a starter, and he also played in three World Cups: South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018.

It all began with that goal against Necaxa, the first chapter in a story that led him to conquer some of the biggest stages in international football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.