When Javier Hernandez made the move to Manchester United as a 22-year-old in 2010, he was parachuted into a star-packed Sir Alex Ferguson team that contained a host of Red Devils icons and international stars.
This squad would claim the Premier League title in the Mexican’s first season at the club, with Hernandez landing a second winners’ medal in his third season with the club, at the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s final campaign with the club.
But of all the Old Trafford legends, international stars and homegrown heros, who was the most talented player that Hernandez played with at the club?
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Hernandez on the best player he played with at Manchester United
Javier Hernandez playing for Manchester United against Wigan Athletic, 2011
Javier Hernandez in action for Manchester United in 2011(Image credit: Alamy)
“Man, that’s tough!,” Hernandez tells FourFourTwo. “This isn’t the order, but I can give you a top four – Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney.
“Even though I only caught Giggsy and Scholes’ later years, they were huge. I thought, ‘If they’re doing these things now, imagine what they were like in their prime.’
Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur, August 2011
Wayne Rooney is Manchester United's all-time leading scorer(Image credit: Alamy)
“Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were ‘wow’, but Paul Scholes was above them. Without warming up, he could put the ball wherever you told him. I think
“Michael Carrick is the most underrated British player. People can banter me for that, but they don’t know how good he was.
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“For me, Wazza is the best British player ever. He could do everything; you could even put him at left-back.”
Hernandez and Rooney played together 98 times in a Manchester United shirt before the Mexican left for Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. Before that though, Hernandez enjoyed a loan spell at Real Madrid during the 2014/15 season, when he linked up with former Red Devils favourite Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid against Marseille in the Champions League in September 2009.
Hernandez played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid(Image credit: Getty Images)
And when asked for his favourite striker partner through the years, Hernandez struggles to get past that duo.
“That’s tough. I’ll say two: Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. I played a couple of games with Robin van Persie and it was amazing. There was one against Wigan where we both scored braces and won 4-0. But when Wayne Rooney was playing behind me, it was easy. The same with Cristiano. You could give him the ball and he’d score. People don’t give him credit for it, but he’s a good passer and a good all-round player, too.”