Manchester United defender excited by Mexico star’s arrival
Manchester United central defender Chris Smalling is anticipating the arrival of Javier Hernandez as the Mexico striker prepares to debut with the English Premier League (EPL) club. The pair are the only new recruits at Old Trafford so far this summer. While Smalling has been featuring as part of United’s pre-season tour of North America, the 2010 FIFA World Cup player only joined up with his new club teammates on Monday as he was afforded an extended break after his efforts in South Africa.
At a press conference ahead of a friendly game against the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Stars, Smalling revealed his excitement about the new arrival. He said: "I’m really looking forward to playing alongside him. Like him, I’m new to the club, but I’ve settled in really well over the last two weeks and I’m sure he will do, too. Everyone will make him feel welcome and hopefully he’ll have a great start to his United career."
Tough test
The 20-year-old former Fulham player also revealed he is expecting a tough test in the upcoming friendly after his club lost 2-1 to MLS side Kansas City Wizards. He said: “The first three games [on the tour] have provided us with a good challenge and to be up against the best players in the MLS will be an even bigger task for us. I’m really looking forward to it.”
So far on this tour, the Red Devils have also played Scottish Premier League (SPL) runners-up Celtic – who they defeated 3-1 with a goal from Dimitar Berbatov being cancelled out by Georgious Samaras before Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley wrapped up the win – and MLS team Philadelphia Union, who they overcame thanks to Gabriel Obertan’s sole strike.
The MLS All-Stars should prove tough opposition for the EPL runners-up, with USA World Cup star Landon Donovan set to feature. “The main aim with pre-season is getting your fitness levels right,” Smalling told his club’s official website, “but we want to win every game and we hope we can do that on Wednesday.”
The England youth player became a Manchester United player on July 1 and has enjoyed discovering American fans’ appetite for the sport. He said: “Every year you’ve seen soccer getting even bigger in America so it’s not surprising to see the following we’ve had on this tour. It’s been fantastic for the players to experience. I’ve enjoyed everything about playing in front of big crowds and getting to know the other players. It’s been great.”
Game of two halves
Hernandez is expected to play some part in the match in Houston, Texas, before playing 45 minutes for both his former club C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas) and United in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday. He signed for Chivas at the age of nine and penned his first professional contract at the age of 15. The striker made his first-team debut in 2006 in a Apertura league win over Club Necaxa. With the score at 3-0, Hernandez came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute, scoring his first goal for the club five minutes later. It was his only goal in seven appearances in the 2006-07 season, while his six games in 2007-08 proved fruitless. In total, the 22-year-old made 64 appearances for Chivas and scored 26 goals before his transfer to United.
The striker made his debut for his national team in September 2009 against Columbia and provided an assist for Mexico’s goal as they fell to a 2-1 loss. Hernandez has since made 15 more appearances and has scored nine goals, including two at the World Cup. He has been described as a natural goalscorer by his new club manager Alex Ferguson and official FIFA statistics showed he was the fastest player at the World Cup, reaching a top speed of 32.15km/h.
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