Upcoming youngsters in Italian Serie A - Part 2
Abel Hernandez:
Born: August 8, 1990
Club: Palermo
Nationality: Uruguayan
Position: Centre Forward
Abel Hernandez joined Palermo in 2009 when he was just 19 and was the sole reason why Palermo decided to sell Edinson Cavani to Napoli. Now, Abel is 20 but is quite tall for a youngster of his age at over 6 feet. La Joya – 'The Jewel' as he is called by the Palermo faithful is a gifted athlete with great pace, aggression and limitless energy as well as stamina.
His cruiserweight boxer like built and imposing presence allows the youngster to easily hold his own between the ball and the defender. It’s hard to steal the ball away from the Uruguayan when he is on it. When the youngster arrived at Palermo, he was suffering from heart problem but now the 20 year old appears to be back to full strength after a surgery.
The Uruguayan usually prefers using his left foot but is also comfortable with his right foot. His deadly goal poaching ability was witnessed last season when the youngster bagged 6 goals in 16 games. His explosive burst of pace and great dribbling skills are the key to his sudden rise in the Italian Serie A.
But, there are still many things that the youngster needs to improve and can improve as he is quite young. For instance, for a player of his height and physic, Abel Hernandez can improve on his heading ability. He has to anticipate more rather than react but that will all come as he plays more and more games and gains experience.
Hernandez also prefers playing as a second striker. His technique is more suited to having a partner with him. But, the striker has been a revelation as a central striker with Argentinean Javier Pastore on his right and Mauricio Pinilla or Massimo Maccarone on his left. The youngster has adapted to this role superbly so far this season.
Hernandez has an air of a typical South American confidence about him and the youngster just loves playing football and scoring goals. He is a young and enthusiastic talent who is outspoken and is never afraid of saying what’s on his mind.
The 20 year old seems to be an intelligent player and his enthusiasm and willingness to learn more has seen him rise quickly in the Palermo ranks. The youngster fought with a serious heart condition even when several doctors told him that he will never be able to play football again but he defied all odds and is now a regular fixture in the Palermo side. This fact just shows how mentally strong the 20 year old is.
Abel Hernandez joined Palermo for reportedly €3 million. Many had thought that selling star striker Edinson Cavani to Napoli and then filling the void left by the prolific Uruguayan was a big mistake but this season saw the youngster come off age. Last season after scoring 6 goals in just 16 games, Abel Hernandez proved his critics wrong and is now considered a great asset in Palermo.
Many clubs are currently monitoring his progress and it is rumoured that Arsene Wenger, manager of Premier League outfit, Arsenal, is interested in signing him. It is thought that Palermo would be tempted if a club comes up with somewhere around €15 million but it is a little too much right now for the youngster as it’s only early days of his career. Still, there is no doubt that the Uruguayan marksman would be worth that much or even more one day.
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