Papers: Reds unearth a gem

Rooney9 SG

Mexican star Javier Hernandez has said he is ''living a dream'' to be joining Manchester United and that he only knows his new team-mates from a PlayStation game.

Hernandez signed for United in January and will join the club after the World Cup having scored 29 goals in 73 appearances for Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara.

The striker will come face-to-face with new team-mates Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand when he plays them in Mexico's friendly with England at Wembley on Monday, but says he is in awe of them.

"Suddenly I'm going to be playing with the players I know from PlayStation and television,'' he told the Daily Mirror. "I'm living a dream and I thank God I'm living it. I got goose-bumps when I realised I would be joining Manchester United .

"These are the things that you dream about. I longed for a move to Europe when I was a kid watching lots of football on television. I'm just full of gratitude to those who helped me accomplish this."

Hernandez was also full of praise for United boss Ferguson, saying, "I know why he's been able to be so successful because he's just a really straightforward person.

"He's an extraordinary man. He makes such an impact on you and it's not just because of his accomplishments but because of the kind of person he is."

Rooney9 SG

United to highlight Javier Hernandez talent
Manchester United will cite Mexican forward Javier Hernandez as an 'exceptional talent' when they plead their case to the Football Association in an effort to secure a work permit for the 21 year-old this week. Although United have agreed a £7 million deal with Chivas Guadalajara for Hernandez, the club must convince the FA, charged by the Home Office with administering the process, to grant a certificate of sponsorship in order to endorse his application. Hernandez, a second-half substitute in Monday's 3-1 defeat by England, has yet to be awarded a permit due to his failure to play in 75 per cent of Mexico's fixtures over the last two years. Although Hernandez has been described as Mexico's brightest talent for a generation, United are mindful their application is not guaranteed to be successful. To secure a work permit, United must convince the FA panel that Hernandez is an elite player who could not be recruited within the European Union for a similar valuation.
Mark Ogden, The Telegraph

Wayne Rooney has dismissed the injury fears reported on Tuesday as "rubbish" and says he's saving his England goals for the World Cup after firing a fourth consecutive blank against Mexico. "Of course I always want to score, but if it doesn’t happen I’m glad it’s in a friendly and not in the World Cup. Hopefully I’m saving them up for South Africa," he said.

Jonny Evans admits in The Sun that he missed out on the chance to establish himself in the United team last season because of his own niggling injuries."There were windows of opportunities I couldn't take because I was sidelined," he said.

Despite Sir Alex's insistence that Dimitar Berbatov is staying at OT, The Guardian has linked the striker with a return to Spurs. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that the Glazers will release a financial update to bond holders on Friday.

sand king SG

"and that he only knows his new team-mates from a PlayStation game."

Rooney9 SG

Mexico striker Javier Hernandez has been granted a work permit for his move to Manchester United and will now join Sir Alex Ferguson's side on July 1.

United announced they had secured a deal for Hernandez, 21, in April, with reports putting the likely transfer fee for the Chivas Guadalajara striker somewhere in the region of £8 million.

But though he scored in a 2-1 defeat to Netherlands on Wednesday and appeared in the second half against England at Wembley, Hernandez has not played in 75% of Mexico's games over the past two years.

That forced United to make the case that he is an 'exceptional talent' and one that could not be recruited from inside the European Union for a similar transfer fee.

An FA panel, responsible for administering the process on behalf of the Home Office, has agreed with the club and given Hernandez the green light to start his career at Old Trafford.

Just_do_it_lah SG

Mexican star Javier Hernandez has said he is ''living a dream'' to be joining Manchester United.

Hopefully, Man United is not on another "living nightmare" (since Forlan days).

iceFatboy SG

did he scored vs Dutch??

CKeer SG

did he scored vs Dutch??

Yup, he did.

Somehow, he reminds me of Owen in his younger days. Small, Pacey and always have an eye for goal.

Rooney9 SG

United may have unearthed £7m diamond (Argentina 3 Mexico 1)
He may have been deprived of a reunion with his old English chums but why would Diego Maradona care two hoots? His men eased past Mexico to set up their own revenge date in Cape Town this Saturday with their conquerors on penalties at the last World Cup. Yet while their triumph was emphatic enough, they needed the impetus of a second episode to deeply embarrass Fifa within the space of six hours. After Frank Lampard’s ghost goal fiasco, the last thing Fifa needed was the nonsense of a referee awarding an opening goal to Argentina which seconds later was being shown as clearly offside to the entire 84,000 crowd. Mexico offered skill and heart three goals down to make a game of it, [and] Javier Hernandez clawed one back with a brilliant effort which will warm his new employers at Old Trafford. Mexico’s fight was commendable. Argentina scrambled a couple away off the line and Hernandez headed just wide, before spinning away from Demichelis and Otamendi to fire home. Too little, too late.
Ian Chadband, Daily Telegraph

Daily Mail columnist Martin Samuel can't understand why Sir Alex isn't chasing free transfer Joe Cole. "The curious contradiction around the future of Joe Cole is that it is hard to see why Tottenham think they need him," he writes, "and harder still to discern why United think they don't."

At first this idea from Daily Telegraph writer Mark Ogden seems to border on lunacy, but as an alternative to goal-line technology, the more you think about it the more sensible it becomes. He writes: "Rip up the turfed area behind the goal-line and replace it with a sand-pit. It will cost peanuts, even clubs at the lowest level could afford it and, crucially, if the ball rattles the crossbar before bouncing [behind the goal-line] like Frank Lampard’s, it will stop dead as soon as it hits the sand."