Chicharito reveals reason for number change

The Mexico international striker is the Hammers' new No. 9, with his decision to take that shirt seemingly bringing all transfer rumours to a close

Javier Hernandez has revealed the reasons behind his number change at West Ham, with the decision to take No. 9 seemingly bringing any transfer talk to a close.

The Mexico international has filled the 17 shirt for the Hammers since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2017.

That is because the No. 14 he favoured at Manchester United, Real Madrid and with his country was already taken by Pedro Obiang.

“I changed my number because I wanted to change it!” Chicharito told West Ham’s official website.

“There was a possibility to change the number and there were two numbers available – nine and seven – and [Andriy] Yarmolenko told me he really wanted seven, which was the number I wore in Leverkusen and I said ‘Yes, don’t worry, I’ll take number nine’.

“When I was in Mexico, I wouldn’t have known the number 14 was going to be as big in my career as it was, because as a striker you normally play with those numbers.

“I played in all my World Cups and for my other clubs [Manchester United and Real Madrid] in the number 14 and I changed my number for the first time in my whole career when I signed for Leverkusen.

“Then, when I signed here, the 17 was available and I took it. Now another number is so I took the number nine.