As West Ham United striker celebrates his 30th birthday on Friday, we look at 30 facts about the Mexican and his career.
- Both Chicharito’s father and grandfather were Mexican internationals, and both participated in World Cups with El Tri.
- Amazingly, Chicharito scored his first goal in a World Cup against France in South Africa 2010, the same team his grandfather scored against 52 years before in Sweden 1958.
- Hernandez was part of the Mexican generation that won the U17 World Cup in 2005, but was cut from the squad only a few weeks before the tournament. The stars of that team, Carlos Vela and Gio dos Santos, also played in the Premier League
- His favourite dish is the “tortas ahogadas”, a traditional sandwich form his hometown Guadalajara, made with a sort of baguette covered in spicy red sauce.
- His favourite shirt number is 14 because his it was the same one his father used when he was a professional player.
- Chicharito has scored more goals (nine) against Chelsea than any other team in his career. Wigan Athletic is his next favourite opponent, with six goals, followed by Mainz, Eintracht Frankfurt and Stoke City on five.
- He is the Mexico national team’s all-time leading goalscorer, after he surpassed Jared Borgetti’s tally of 46 with his strike against Croatia in May last year. He now has 49 goals in 101 caps.
- Chicharito was the third two-time Premier League winner to join the Hammers last summer. His titles came in 2010/11 and 2012/13 with Manchester United – while Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta won the title twice each with Manchester City.
- Chicharito (Little Pea) inherited his nickname from his father “Chícharo” (Pea). The reason? Both have green eyes, a not so common trait in Mexico.
- Hernandez has also won honours with his national team, claiming the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in 2011 and the CONCACAF Cup in 2015.
- In just two years in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, he was named Bundesliga Player of the Month on five occasions – and took the honour three times in a row between November 2015 and January 2016.
- He made a dream start to life in England in his first Premier League spell, scoring on his Manchester United debut as they defeated Chelsea in the FA Community Shield.
- With 45 Premier League goals from 131 matches, with a goal coming every 141.7 minutes, only eleven players possess a more lethal strike rate than Chicharito in Premier League history.
- He briefly considered retirement when he wasn’t being played by Chivas in 2008, but thankfully was talked out of that decision by his mother.
- Defenders can never rest against Chicharito, as he comes to life in the second half of games. 85 of his 144 career league goals have come after half time.
- Chicharito has been depicted as cartoon character back in Mexico, by the creator of the series Mucha Lucha. The cartoon also included former Manchester United star David Beckham, and several other stars of world football, past and present.
- When Manchester United reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2011, Chicharito became the first Mexican to feature in European club football’s showpiece game.
- 14 August is Chicharito Day, according to a group of his followers on social media. A Facebook page "Las Chicharitas 14" – the number 14 for his favourite shirt number, and August for being the only month of the year with the same number of letters as his first name.
- On 26 May 2012, Chicharito became the Mexican ambassador for UNICEF. As ambassador, he participated in a number of activities to encourage children and teenagers to continue with their education
- Hernandez joined Chivas when he was nine years old, but he has not always been a striker. Chicharito revealed that he started as right-back until one of his coaches noticed his skills as an attacker and moved him.
- Chicharito was fouled on average 1.8 times per game last season – the most of any West Ham United player.
- The Hammers striker is a huge fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones, and his favourite character is Danaerys Targaryen as he loves the dragons.
- Chicharito, together with Sevilla star Miguel Layun, played a prominent role in supporting victims of the Mexican earthquake last year, setting up the #YoxMexico campaign to raise funds for them.
- Chicharito’s 49 international goals have come against 31 separate nations. He has enjoyed most success against El Salvador and Honduras, netting four times against both.
- Patrice Evra and Chicharito were reunited at London Stadium last season. The pair have played together on 120 occasions at Manchester United and the Hammers, making Evra the player the Mexican has most often played alongside.
- The biggest victory Chicharito has ever been involved in was Real Madrid’s 9-1 win against Grenada in April 2015.
- Chicharito has been to the Round of 16 at the last two FIFA World Cups and would dearly love to go further with Mexico in Russia this summer.
- The most proflic season in Chicharito’s career came in 2015/16, when he notched 26 goals in Bayer Leverkusen’s colours.
- In 2015 he was crowned the CONCACAF Player of the Year – the best player in North and Central America.
- He has the most appearances of any Mexican in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Rafael Marquez’s previous record of 46 in February 2017.