Hernandez was tipped off to United by a Liverpool Uni studen

• zocoss

  26 Oct 10, 11:15

  Fergie was tipped off about Chicharito from Liverpool John Moores Uni student

  

  United's new head boy: Hernandez's touch of genius stunned Stoke on Sunday
  
  
  Manchester-United-were-tipped-off-about-Javier-Chicharito-Hernandez-from-former-Mexican-international-Marco-Garces-who-was-a-student-at-Liverpool-John-Moores-University.

   

   

   

  There are 5,700 miles between Manchester and Javier Hernandez's home city of Guadalajara, but United found out about him through someone 30 miles down the M62.

  Former Mexican international Marco Garces told United chief scout Jim Lawlor about this promising young striker in September 2009 after the pair struck up a friendship during the four years he spent at Liverpool John Moores University studying for a sports science degree.

  Lawlor sent one of his scouts to Mexico in December to assess Hernandez before jetting out to spend three weeks watching him in February and March.

  Lawlor's in-depth report sold Hernandez to Sir Alex Ferguson and the United boss moved quickly to seal his secret £7million switch from Guadalajara when it became clear the attacker would be in Mexico's World Cup squad.

  Hernandez is the first Mexican to play for United and Lawlor claims he has a network of contacts and scouts all over the world.

  "We have our greatest number of scouts in the UK," he said. "But players can come from anywhere in the world. You only have to look at some of the top players in world football and they come from small countries in Africa and other places. So we keep our scouts active everywhere and keep an open mind.

  "We have one of the bigger scouting networks because we look to recruit the very best players in the world and you can't do that by scouting in just one country. We have an extensive network, which is growing all the time, and hopefully it will help us acquire the very best players."

   

• zocoss

  26 Oct 10, 11:22

  Javier Hernandez has the Mex Factor! Manchester United striker heading to the top after wonder goal at Stoke 

   

  

  Bright future: Hernandez will be at Old Trafford for many years, says Hartson

   

   

   

  With a flick of the back of his head, Javier Hernandez put Manchester United on their way to victory at Stoke on Sunday and left fans and pundits alike purring at his ingenuity.

  The Mexico striker, unheard of when he signed for £6million in the summer, opened his account via his face against Chelsea in the Community Shield. But there was nothing unplanned about his beauty at the Britannia.

  Sportsmail asked three of British football's greatest headers of the ball to make sense of Chicharito's effort...

   

   

  ANDY GRAY

   

  I've seen some great headers of the ball, people like Bob Latchford, Teddy Sheringham, Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand, but it's hard to believe that any would have tried what Hernandez did.

  It was a very instinctive goal and special for its uniqueness. Most strikers in that position, even with their backs to goal, would try to twist their body around.

  He deserves 11 out of 10 for improvisation and execution - but you still need a fair bit of good fortune to score when you are facing away from goal.

  As a Sky Sports pundit, I've seen Tim Cahill score some fantastic headers for Everton. It is an art that requires different skills: some are power headers from 12 yards, some where you have to generate your own power, some that you need to glance without hardly touching it at all and each can be a great header in its own way. But I doubt you will see a goal like Hernandez's for quite some time.

  For instinctiveness, it reminds me of my 'half-volley header' for Everton against Notts County in the 1984 FA Cup quarter-final. The cross came in towards my feet, I was six yards out, and everyone would have expected me to stick a leg out, but I instinctively dived to head it in just as it bounced up from the ground. 

   

   JOHN HARTSON

    

  I scored different types of headers, but never one like that. The way he arched his back and neck to swing his head was impressive and something you can't practise.

  It wasn't the best goal I've seen, but certainly the most unusual header and an incredible piece of improvisation. He could have fallen over and looked a bit silly and I'm sure no one would have been surprised if it went wide or over the bar. To even want to try it was great - it is something that the likes of Fernando Torres might well attempt.

  To tell whether he can become as good, you can only listen to his manager and team-mates, and they are all saying good things about him.

  Hernandez has got a long future at United and there are one or two to get past in Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, but he can become a regular fixture.

  There are too many great headers of the ball such as Mick Harford, Geoff Hurst, Alan Shearer to pick a favourite and I wouldn't compare Hernandez's goal to one scored with the forehead.

  A favourite that springs to mind was by Ryan Giggs when I was playing against him for Coventry. Manchester United beat us 4-2 at Old Trafford and Giggs scored the crucial goal with a powerful header from the edge of the area.   

   

   

   

  

  Poacher: Hernandez's (left) second strike at Stoke again showed his eye for goal

    

  IAIN DOWIE

    

  I can honestly say that, both as a player or manager, I've never seen anyone practise that kind of skill.

  Hernandez reminds me of all great finishers. They draw such quick pictures in their heads and come up with solutions whereby they are able to find the net.

  It was certainly deliberate. It looks to me like Sir Alex Ferguson has found a new Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

   

   

   

• zocockss

  26 Oct 10, 15:54

  yessss!!!!! new legend in the making.the greatest goal poachers of all time

• trolol

  26 Oct 10, 19:09

  what about his goal at the community shield

• TIB657M

  26 Oct 10, 19:12

  He has good partnership with Berbatov.

• omgukilledkenny

  27 Oct 10, 22:19

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  "We have one of the bigger scouting networks because we look to recruit the very best players in the world and you can't do that by scouting in just one country. We have an extensive network, which is growing all the time, and hopefully it will help us acquire the very best players."

  The network always seems to miss out on German players though.