X

PFA Young Player of the Year: Why Javier Hernandez Is the Best Candidate

Ryan RodgersContributor IApril 1, 2011

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 15:  Javier Hernandez of Manchester United celebrates scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Manchester United and Marseille at Old Trafford on March 15, 2011 in Manchester, England.  (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

In the next couple of weeks, the Professional Footballers Association, more commonly known as the PFA, will be announcing their annual nominees. 

The 4,000-plus member association is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the game. The aims of the PFA are to protect, improve and negotiate the conditions, rights and status of all professional players by collective bargaining agreements.  Along with being the strong-arm for the Premier League, the PFA awards players based on their form and success in the English Premier League.

The two awards that are more hotly contested and debated than the Merit and Fans' Player of the Year Award are the PFA Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year Awards.  Although the Player of the Year is a great honor and achievement, this EPL season has been all about the youth movement.

Players like Tom Cleverly, Daniel Sturridge, Marc Albrighton, Rafael, Wojchiech Szczensy, Micah Richards, Jack Rodwell and Jordan Henderson have all enjoyed breakout seasons along with countless other youngsters. 

Despite winning the Golden Boy Award earlier this year, bib-struggling Mario Balotelli has been rather dispensable for Manchester City, often grabbing the headlines for all the wrong reasons.  However, there have been a few youngsters who have had a greater effect on their club more so than others.

Several players are all but guaranteed to make the nomination for PFA Young Player of the Year.  Manchester City's Joe Hart will likely be in contention for the prestigious award.  Hart has all but cemented his place as England's No. 1 goalie, a position that has had some rough criticism when occupied by Robert Green, Ben Foster and Paul Robinson.  For club, Hart has also been reliable and consistent when called into action.

Hart is boasting a 77-percent save average for shots on target, which puts him above the rest of the Premier Leagues top goalies. As prolific as Hart has been, he is also only lightly peppered with shots due to the concentrated defense Manchester City typically play with. 

Questions and concerns have also been raised about his lack of concentration, which drew criticism from the likes of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and England coach Fabio Capello.

Then there is Gareth Bale, who many are stating is already the shoe-in candidate, and is a favorite to land the PFA Player of the Year as well. Bale certainly has been a revelation this season, and he has at times been the sole reason for Tottenham's success in Europe.  However, domestically he has failed to deliver the same results.

In 25 appearances, Bale has only netted seven goals and one assist.  This is also Bale's fourth season in the EPL, which doesn't mean he isn't qualified due to his improvement over the past few seasons, but he has not been the same player domestically as he has been in the Champions League. 

Gareth Bale certainly is a young and exciting prospect and is at the top of most clubs transfer wish-list.  But had it not been for his displays in the Champions League, few people would be paying as much attention to him as they are now.

The third likely candidate is young Jack Wilshere.  The 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder possesses the  composure and skill on the ball that typically does not develop for most players until much later in their careers. 

There is little one can criticize Wilshere for, with the exception of the lack of glory he has been able to bring to Arsenal so far.  Failing to deliver in three competitions does not mean Wilshere does not deserve the award, especially considering his young age, but he should not be regarded as the only young precocious talent.

Arsenal fans will likely believe that there is no player more deserving of the award than Wilshere, but his time for personal accolades will come.  As exciting and bright as Wilshere has been for Arsenal, his one goal and two assists haven't been the catalyst in propelling Arsenal forward.

Prior to the 2010 South Africa World Cup, very few people outside of Mexico had ever heard of Javier Hernandez.  Manchester United announced they had signed the striker from Chivas Guadalajara for a fee of around £7 million in January 2010. 

Chicharito's 16 goals in all competitions, with 10 coming in the Premier League, is an astonishing feat considering this is his first year playing in Europe.  Hernandez has been in such fine form that he has managed to relegate Manchester United's record-signing £30m man and Premier League top scorer Dimitar Berbatov to the bench. 

In a similar mold to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United's new "baby-faced assassin" plays right off the shoulder of the last defender and uses his blistering pace to run on to any ball played towards him.  Chicharito has had to adapt to a new culture and a new style of play, whereas Wilshere, Bale and Hart have grown up in the U.K. and are accustomed to the physicality and pace of the English game. 

In an overly inflated market, Hernandez appears to be—along with Rafael van der Vart—the bargain of the season. Especially considering prices such as £50 million and £35M have been spent on players that have been less than prolific for their new clubs.

Between two of the favorite candidates in Jack Wilshere and Javier Hernandez, the difference is the quest for trophies.  As is the case with many seasons before, Arsenal have failed to live up to the pedestal that they and the fans put them on. 

Wilshere has done little to bring trophies to the Emirates, whereas Hernandez is a major reason for keeping United on pace for a repeat of their historic treble in 1999, as he is likely to break the 20-goal mark by the end of the campaign.

If Manchester United go on to win major silverware this season and Arsenal end yet another season empty-handed, the contributions of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez will certainly justify the title of PFA Young Player of the Year.