‘There’s more pressure at Madrid than with United’
FORMER United striker Javier Hernandez says he felt more pressure playing at Real Madrid than he did at Old Trafford.
The Mexican forward proved a popular figure during his time in England after signing for the Reds from Guadalajara in 2010.
He spent five years with United, making more than 100 appearances and scoring 59 goals as he helped win two Premier League titles.
Hernandez spent the final year of his Reds career on loan at Real Madrid in 2014 before he was sold on to Bayer Leverkusen.
He failed to make much of an impression, though, scoring just nine goals in his solitary season at the Bernabeu.
Having turned out for two of the biggest clubs on the European stage, Hernandez has revealed he found the scrutiny and pressure far greater in Madrid.
“I think it’s the culture,” he said. “It’s just a description, it’s not something that I want to make less or make more any of the clubs.
“It’s just a description, you know how the way of life in England is a little bit more calm, a little bit more close, a little bit more in that way.
“In Spain and Portugal it is more the Latino way. It’s the culture, it’s more open, they’re more exposed.
“In United I never felt in the outside that it was completely as massive as it really was.
“But you know not many fans outside, not many press, not leaking news, you can walk a lot in Manchester, they respect you more.
“In Spain they respect you but they are more like my country, they want things from you, they want the picture, they want to grab you.”