Javier Hernandez left Manchester United after Louis van Gaal gave him '1% chance' of playing

Javier Hernandez was the first Mexican player to shine at Old Trafford

Ex-Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has revealed that Louis van Gaal had driven him out of United, telling the striker he only had a 1% chance of playing in his favoured position for the club.

In an interview given to television channel Movistar, Hernandez said, “I spoke with Van Gaal and he said that I only had a one per cent chance of playing in my position, so I headed to Bayer.”

“I felt confident from the very first day. I feel important, not just because of my goals, but because I feel that I’ll start every game”.

The 27 year old striker seems rejuvenated in Germany having already scored 19 goals for club and country this season. Recently, Hernandez grabbed the headlines by scoring against Barcelona in the Champions League and netting a hat-trick for Bayer Leverkusen in their 5-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

The striker’s fortunes were in sharp contrast to that of Manchester United, as the club was ousted from the Champions League following their defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg. United also lost to AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League. Hernandez’ success in front of goal has only served to amplify the Red Devil’s goal-scoring issues and their ‘boring’ reputation.

Hernandez’s chequered United career

After the arrival of van Gaal, Hernandez found it difficult to make it to the starting 11 of Manchester United spending most of his time on the bench. The Dutchman also made it clear that should the right offer come, Hernandez should not spend time contemplating it. The offer came from Real Madrid and Hernandez made his way to the Bernabeu on loan. After his short stint there, he made a switch to Bayer Leverkusen on a three year deal during summer. This ended his five year career at Old Trafford.

Hernandez had joined United in 2010 from Guadalajara. He was voted player of the year by the fans for scoring 20 goals in all competitions in his first season at United, with some vital match winning strikes along the way. However he had begun to fall out of favour in 2013, when David Moyes was appointed manager after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Reflecting on his time at United, Hernandez said, “I was extremely lucky to be the first (Mexican) player to move to one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

“I had a great time there. I had an incredible start, full of opportunities, although those opportunities dwindled over time and things took a turn for the worse.

Hernandez also heaped praise on Sir Alex Ferguson, his former manager at United saying,

“I’m so grateful to Ferguson. I think he’s the best there’s ever been, especially his squad management skills. Every player had his place. A squad player could still play 15 games a season. He opened the door to Europe for me and I won two league titles there.”

Hernandez seems to be enjoying himself at Bayer Leverkusen, while Manchester United struggle to find their form up front.