There were never really any career choices beyond that of a footballer for Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez. With his father and grandfather having played professionally, the Mexican fell in love with the sport almost from the day he was born in Guadalajara in June 1988.

“Football was completely my life when I was younger,” Hernandez told bundesliga.com in an exclusive interview. “In fact, it still is. Ever since I was born I knew I was going to be a footballer: I was set on it. I loved going to the stadium to watch my dad and I was lucky enough that – because he played – I could experience the atmosphere first-hand on a regular basis.”

Paternal influence

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