Mexico's top scorer broke down crying over transfer decision after Man Utd exit

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Sir Alex Ferguson was the man responsible for numerous players living out their footballing dream in Manchester. During his tenure, the crest became synonymous with glory, and his players became Manchester legends.

The honour of wearing the United shirt during such an unprecedented era of success has had a lasting impact on many who used to call Old Trafford home, with Mexico ’s all-time leading scorer Javier Hernandez proving no exception to the rule. Hernandez joined Manchester United in 2010, the same summer in which he made his international breakthrough at the World Cup in South Africa , scoring twice in four games.

The Mexican troubled the Premier League as much as he had the international stage, and scored 20 goals in all competitions in his debut season in Manchester. With his goals came success, as Ferguson’s men won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona denying United a rare double at Wembley.

The Mexican, known affectionately as Chicarito, showed no signs of slowing down as he ended each of the next two seasons with double figures in the league. While Hernandez had established himself as an important player for Ferguson, he struggled to make a similar impact under David Moyes .

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The Mexican seemed to have been given a lifeline as Louis van Gaal handed him a starting spot in his first league match in charge, though Hernandez was hooked at half time in a move that made his impending United exit clear for all to see. The striker was sent on loan a fortnight later, and departed Old Trafford for good in the summer of 2015, joining Bayer Leverkusen.

While Hernandez’s United career had come to an end, he showed he was still capable of troubling defences in the Bundesliga, averaging a goal every other game in Germany prior to taking his talents to east London and joining West Ham in 2017. Hernandez’s previous Premier League success was not to be replicated, though he did manage to score 16 times during a turbulent time for the Hammers which saw him play under three managers in two years.

A short stint in Spain in Seville brought less success, however, and Hernandez drew the curtain on his European career in January 2020 as he moved to MLS side LA Galaxy. While there were more positives to come across the Atlantic for the Mexican, Hernandez was visibly upset when recognising the start of a new chapter signalled the end of an old one 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.”

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“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.”

With the European dream over, Hernandez’s American aspirations were only just beginning, as he scored 39 times in 82 appearances for LA Galaxy before returning to his boyhood club CD Guadalajara, fittingly completing the circle at the club where his career began. While the Mexican has not officially announced his retirement, he has not played for a club since last year and has been a free agent since.

Hernandez stands alone as Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer with 52 goals in 109 appearances. Second to Hernandez is Wolves ’s Raul Jimenez, who has scored 47 goals in 128 appearances for El Tricolor .

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Jimenez has netted twice in the 2026 World Cup , most recently in Mexico’s round of 32 matchup versus Ecuador , and will be leading the line versus Thomas Tuchel’s England on Sunday at the Azteca in Mexico City. Jimenez is the target man for the Mexicans, just as Hernandez was all those years ago, and the 35-year-old will be looking to take one step further toward equalling, or surpassing Hernandez’s all-time record versus England on Sunday.