Many gaffed when Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez made the jump from Manchester United to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window. After all, the 26-year-old became a fixture on the bench and not the pitch in his final year at Old Trafford.
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Fast forward to today.
Hernandez has proven to not only be a welcomed commodity in Madrid, but an effective one at that. In 142 league minutes, the Mexican international boasts an impressive scoring record of three goals. That's one goal for every 47.3 minutes. Compare that to the lucrative transfer of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, which has yielded nothing in 159 minutes of play.
Various competitive circumstances contribute to such a one-sided comparison. Suarez is still in the process of acclimating himself to life in Barcelona and his level of competition has been stiffer than his Mexican counterpart, but there's no denying Hernandez's dedication to overcoming obstacles in the Spanish capital.
It all stemmed from his ability to understand that his time at United had run it's course.
"They thought I couldn't help any more at United, so we decided by mutual agreement that I would leave," Hernandez told ESPN Deportes (via ESPN UK). "It was difficult. I had offers from other teams, but when I got the opportunity to come to Real Madrid, I didn't hesitate."
"It was the toughest challenge [I was offered] and the one that gave me the least chances [of first-team minutes], but these are the challenges I like and the ones I've worked for all my life," he added. "I dreamed of being here. I have the talent and I'll work hard to show I belong at such a great institution. I hope some positive things happen, both to the club and myself."
Hernandez arrived to Madrid on a one-year loan. His contract with the Red Devils runs until 2016, but the striker shows zero intention of returning to Manchester. His objective is remaining a fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I was received well here and I had played against some of my teammates either at the club or national level," Hernandez continued. "Here is doesn't matter where you come from. At the end of the day, you are welcomed in the dressing room"
"From day one, I have tried without any disrespect to anyone else to say to myself: 'Why not? I can play here. I can contribute and work with this team.'"
Hernandez's recent form does nothing but lend authenticity to those claims.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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