United's Covert Operation

The capture of Javier Hernandez in April caught everybody on the hop - including the striker's family.

So secretive were the talks between United and Chivas, that only the striker and his father, Chicharo, were aware of the deal taking place. As they sat watching United take on Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, their family believed they were 4,000 miles away in America.

"We didn’t know about the deal until it was done," Tomas Balcazar, Chicharito's grandfather, told ManUtd.com. "They tricked us! They told us they were going on holiday to Atlanta. Then the phone rang and my son said: ‘Turn the television on, you’ll see something very important'. We turned it on and the first thing we saw was the lad’s mug!

"I thought: 'What’s going on?' Then we saw the badge of Manchester United. We just didn’t believe it. We were flabbergasted and wanted to know more. So we thought we’d head over to Chicharito’s house to see how everything was and to feed the pets. The phone rang again and my daughter said to me: ‘Get back here, there’s loads of press at the house that want to interview you.’ From 10 in the morning to 11 at night we were being interviewed. We didn’t even eat. It was crazy!"

Having overcome the shock at seeing Chicharito unveiled at one of the world's biggest clubs, Balcazar admits that the entire family are filled with pride at the move. "We thanked God and were full of joy," he said. "After all his work, being obedient in waiting for his chance at Chivas, it's great to see it rewarded."