Javier Hernández: why do they call him "Chicharito"?

Javier Hernández is a mexican soccer player who currently plays as a forward for the Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer in the United States and also plays for the Mexican national team.

Javier Hernández has had many outstanding performances during his career as a footballer. One of the most distinguished was at Manchester United, in the 2010-2011 season, where he was champion of the Premier League and the Community Shield, being one of the top scorers of the team and surpassing great figures such as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. Here you can find news about Mexico's top scorer of all time.

He was also named player of the year Sir Matt Busby and, in that same season, he reached the final of the Champions League where his team lost against Barcelona, ending up second of this tournament.

He also had his best performance with the Mexico team in the 2011 Gold Cup, where he was named best player and golden boot of the championship after scoring 7 goals in 6 games. If you are interested in knowing this player, click here to learn more about the league he plays in.

On September 1, 2014, with one day left to close the transfer market in Spain, Hernández was loaned for a season to Real Madrid, with the club reserving an option to buy the player.

His first goal with Real Madrid's shirt was scored in La Coruña in a match against Deportivo de La Coruña on September 20. That day he not only scored his first goal, but also scored his first double with the white shirt. 

In addition, he also won the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco against San Lorenzo de Almagro, winning Real Madrid 2-0 and getting his first title with the merengue shirt.

In 2015, Javier ended his first season in Spain with 9 goals and 5 assists in 31 games played, being the fifth scorer of the merengues in the season.

Why do they call Javier Hernández "Chicharito"?

In addition to all his sporting achievements, one of the most referenced facts about Javier Hernández is his nickname: he is always asked about its origin.

The Mexican footballer is the son of the legendary striker Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, Hugo Sánchez's partner in the 1986 World Cup. This legendary striker who has an intense green as the color of his eyes, which served as an excuse to give him the nickname: "Chícharo", which in Latin American language refers to pea of a powerful green color.

When his son began to play in Chivas, the press and fans decided to differentiate him from his father. It was decided that they would call him Chicharito.