LA Galaxy captain Javier Hernandez holds a special place in the hearts of Manchester United fans thanks to his five-year spell at Old Trafford.
During that period, Chicharito made 157 appearances for the Reds, scoring 59 goals in the process. This return earned him cult hero status among the fanbase and marked a career high for the striker.
But the beginning of his spell at United actually saw him score a goal against the Reds in a friendly where Hernandez lined-up for both Chivas and Sir Alex Ferguson's side. With Erik ten Hag's team returning to the US before the 2023/24 campaign, MEN Sport has taken a look back at when the Mexican forward lined up for two clubs in one game.
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Before delving into game for Chicharito, we must start with how he became a United player in the first place. At the time, Hernandez was a young player at Chivas and was holding ambitions of going to the World Cup with Mexico.
His life would turn upside down in an instant though, following a meeting between his father and the Reds' scout Jim Lawlor. Reflecting on the moment he found out about United's first contact, Chicharito explained: "So, I left the stadium after the game [Chivas vs Puebla] and usually the routine was always me and my family jump in a car, we drop my grandads, my aunts, my cousins, everyone at the family home, we stay for a bit, we chat, we have dinner and then my parents and my sister and me go back to our house to sleep and then the next day I wake up and I train.
"When I jumped into the car, I was crying [because of an injury to his groin], thinking like: ‘What’s going to happen? I have my second call-up next week (for Mexico), and I want to win a spot’ and stuff like that.
"I see my dad driving and my mother next to me, very calm. Both calm and a calmness that scares you in a way because we always share this like emotions and stuff.
"I didn’t expect them to be crying but at least like worry of the solution to this. They were so calm, and I was like what the f***?
"And I was saying to my mother: ‘Mum, what’s going on with you?’ So, they said: 'We need to go home because we need to go quick, it’s a change of the routine, we have two cars. Remember the meeting we had yesterday, we need to talk about that, and we need to have a family meeting.'
"They would drive around the corner to get the other car and I didn’t know that the other car was because Jim Lawlor wanted to meet me and my father again with a translator to make the first contact between us and United. My dad said: 'Remember the meeting,' and he gives me a card. It says Jim Lawlor. But he has the badge of Manchester United.
"So, my dad gave it to me, and I was like: ‘Okay, what does he want?’, and I didn’t realise it was actually Manchester United. And my dad starts crying. To see that, it was like wow.
"He told me: 'Son, the meeting I had yesterday was with a scout from Manchester United and he wants to speak with you because they want to make sure you want to go with him.' My straight answer was like: 'Make sure that I want to go with him? You didn’t tell them that I want to go with him? Of course I want.'"
From then onwards, Hernandez's heart was set on a move to Old Trafford, a deal for which would be completed in April 2010. After securing his man, Ferguson said: "I am delighted to reach agreement with Chivas to bring such an exciting young striker, who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country.
"He will be a great addition to our squad and we look forward to welcoming our first Mexican player in the summer. We are equally excited to play our first game in Mexico, opening the magnificent new Chivas Stadium in July."
Despite the excitement of joining a club he played with on FIFA, Chicharito admitted in 2020 that the flight over to Manchester to confirm the deal was bittersweet. He said: "[When you join a club like United] it is difficult to find a balance between enjoying it, not getting obsessed over wanting more and thinking that you have already done everything. It is like bittersweet. It was all amazing and then on the plane I asked myself: 'And now what?'"
This question for United's new man was answered by the World Cup. Hernandez would show glimpses in South Africa of what fans were could expect from their new signing. Scoring in an historic group stage victory over France and grabbing his second of the tournament in the round of 16 defeat to Argentina, the striker was proving why Lawlor had worked hard to bring the Mexican to Ferguson's attention.
Just over a month later, Hernandez would return to his home country as a United player but not before running out for Chivas one last time. Having been given permission to play for his boyhood club, the striker featured against United in their pre-season fixture. He took just eight minutes to score for the Mexican side. Chris Smalling equalised shortly afterwards before Adolfo Bautista put the home side in front before the break. Hernandez then played 15 minutes for United in the second half of a game that ended 3-2 to Chivas.
Post-match, Ferguson was convinced they had found a real talent. The beaming Scot said: "Chicharito was first class. His goal for Chivas was a marvellous strike. He showed his real qualities.
"It was always my intention to give him only 15 minutes of the second half as he is in the process of recovering from the World Cup. He will now do some fitness training and endurance work when he arrives in Manchester and he will play more games.
"Chicharito has done really well. The players have all remarked how good he is and what a great finisher he is - I think there are similarities between him and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The players are all supportive of him and have welcomed him to the club. I think he has a great future with us."
Little did Ferguson know that the Mexican would earn a similar status to the Norwegian striker at the Theatre of Dreams. Chicharito impressed for United, before leaving on loan for Real Madrid and signing permanently for Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.
Stints at West Ham United and Sevilla followed before in 2020 the striker joined LA Galaxy. Chicharito has enjoyed the twilight of his career in the US and is now captain of the MLS team. The now 34-year-old scored 18 goals in 32 appearances last season as his side reached the MLS Conference semi-finals. With United back in America this summer, a reunion between striker and club could even be on the cards.
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