Javier Hernandez Balcazar born 1 June 1988, is a Mexican footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United, being the first Mexican to do so. He previously played for Mexican club Guadalajara. He made his début for the Mexico national football team in September 2009 in a match against Colombia and represented them at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice. He is the son of Javier Hernández Gutiérrez and the grandson of Tomás Balcázar.
Hernández was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and first played in a recreation league when he was seven years old. His father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, himself a previous Mexican international striker, said he never thought his son would actually make it as a professional. Hernández joined C.D. Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract when he was 15. He was set to play in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, but an injury sidelined him from the team that ultimately won the championship.
Personal information
Full name: Javier Hernandez Balcazar
Date of birth: 1 June 1988
Place of birth: Guadalajara, Mexico
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position: Forward
Club information
Current club: Manchester United
Number: 14
Youth career
1997–2006 Guadalajara
Senior career*
2006–2010 Guadalajara 64 (26)
2010– Manchester United 20 (10)
National team‡
2007–2009 Mexico U-20 5 (1)
2009– Mexico 21 (12)