Manchester United -- and to some extent Real Madrid -- did little to develop Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez’s career post-Sir Alex Ferguson. He let that well-known fact be known on Thursday.

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“What I was missing in the last two or three years, it was like I was playing sometimes and then returning to the bench,” Hernandez said, per the Orlando Sentinel. “But now that I am playing most of the game or almost all of my games here in my club, that’s what I need.

“Because people sometimes think the confidence is with goals, but I don’t think like that. I think confidence is to play day-by-day, to get rhythm.”

Admittedly, Hernandez was doing little to bolster his case at Old Trafford. While it was foolish of Louis van Gaal to sell the Mexico international to Bayer Leverkusen for £8 million in hindsight, it was an understandable choice in August.

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Nineteen goals later, it’s Hernandez who laughed last.

Under the guidance of Roger Schmidt, Hernandez is allowed to commit mistakes without the worry of being yanked the following matchday. So for every debacle 12 yards out …

Hernandez is afforded the opportunity to redeem himself.

It’s that lack of confidence that nearly ruined one of Mexico’s brightest talents. His career lacked so much traction, there was even talk of Hernandez leaving Europe for MLS.

M.L.S.

Reborn on the pitch, Hernandez is instead two points from returning to the Champions League in 2016.

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