West Ham United fans from all over the world descended on the London Stadium Store to meet Chicharito and Pablo Zabaleta on Monday.
Hundreds of supporters had a grey late summer’s afternoon brightened by spending time with their heroes, collecting autographs and posing for selfies.
The Hammers’ new Mexican striking superstar attracted dozens of supporters of his hometown club Guadalajara, many of whom departed wearing the Claret and Blue of West Ham.
For the No17, who grew up idolising his own heroes in the red and white of Guadalajara and green of Mexico, the importance of spending time with those who cheer you on is huge.
“I grew up like them, asking for signatures and for photographs from everyone!” he smiled. “My Granddad was a footballer and my Dad as well, so I always tried to the autographs and photos from the other players.
“This type of event lets us be close to the fans who make our stadium full and travel all over the country to away games or watch our games on television, so they are very important for us as well.”
“My favourite thing I got was not a signature or a photo but there was a goalkeeper for Mexico called Jorge Campos who was a legend in my country and I don’t know why, but when I was a kid I loved to play as a goalkeeper, so my Dad got me his gloves and his shirt!
“At that moment, he was very popular because of the colour of the uniforms that he wore, so I think that was the best thing I collected when I was a child!”
This type of event lets us be close to the fans who make our stadium full and travel all over the country to away games or watch our games on television, so they are very important for us as well
Chicharito
Alongside the hundreds of local parents and schoolchildren dressed proudly in their West Ham shirts were Chicharito fans from all over Mexico, including many from his home city of Guadalajara, where he began his prolific career at the age of nine.
“He is really humble and he teaches that if you want to achieve great things in your life, you just need to keep going and never give up and be confident – that’s why this guy means so much to us,” said Guadalajara native Juan Alvarez, who is studying at Durham University. “We went to Southampton and I became a Hammer with all the fans, I’m going to Newcastle and I’m going to follow the Club from now.”
“We love Chicharito and we are really lucky to be here to meet him!” said Ana Galindo, who lives in Sonora in Mexico’s north west. “He is special because he is the best Mexican football player and we really feel good about his accomplishments.”
Also waiting patiently were newlyweds Cruz and Elizabeth Pena, who made meeting their hero a must-do on their honeymoon in London!
“We are so happy to be here to meet Chicharito!” Cruz told whufc.com. “He is the biggest player in Mexico, so he’s really important in our town and he’s also a great guy.
“This is very important and maybe I’m going to give Chicha a kiss if it’s not a problem. This is the best moment of my honeymoon!”