13 fun facts about Theo Hernandez

Everything you need to know about France and AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez!

Theo Hernandez is a professional footballer who currently plays as a left-back for Italian club AC Milan and the French national team. Born on October 6, 1997, in Marseille, France, Hernandez comes from a family of footballers. His father, Jean-Francois Hernandez, was also a professional footballer, who played as a defender.

Hernandez began his youth career at Atletico Madrid in 2007. He spent many years at the club, honing his skills and developing his game. In 2016, he was promoted to Atletico's first team but did not make any appearances for them and was subsequently loaned out to Alaves in the summer of that year.

At Alaves, Hernandez made 38 appearances and was one of the season's standout performers. His impressive performances caught the attention of several top European clubs, including Real Madrid. In July 2017, Hernandez signed for Real Madrid for a reported fee of €24 million.

While Hernandez won many trophies with Real Madrid, including a Champions League and a Club World Cup, he could not replicate his performances from his time at Alaves and was mostly on the bench making occasional appearances off it. He was sent on loan to fellow La Liga club Real Sociedad, where he spent the entirety of the 2018-19 season, making 28 appearances and scoring one goal in the process.

In July 2019, he signed for AC Milan for a reported fee of €20 million. At AC Milan, Hernandez has been a revelation. He has established himself as one of the best left-backs in Europe, contributing both defensively and offensively. In his first season at the club, he made 36 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.

In the 2020-21 season, Hernandez continued his impressive form, making 45 appearances, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. He helped AC Milan qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season. He was also named in the Serie A Team of the Year.

It was the next season when Hernandez's career reached its highest point so far. During the 2022-23 season, the French left-back helped AC Milan win their first Serie A title in 11 years. He contributed with five goals and six assists in 32 league appearances. Hernandez's most notable contribution was his goal in the penultimate game of the season against Atalanta where he picked up the ball from his own half, dribbled through multiple players, and scored Milan's second goal to confirm the victory, bringing them one point away from clinching the title.

Hernandez has also represented the French national team. He made his debut in September 2021, in a World Cup qualifier against Finland, with his side getting a 2-0 victory. Since then he has been selected as a part of the 2022 World Cup squad, where he scored the opening goal in France's semi-final win against Morocco. He has made 15 appearances for them, scoring two goals in that time.

In conclusion, Theo Hernandez is a talented and versatile left-back who has established himself as one of the best in Europe. He has had a successful career so far, winning several major trophies and establishing himself as a key player for AC Milan. With his pace, dribbling ability, and defensive skills, he is a valuable asset to any team, and he is likely to continue his success in the coming years.

Here are 13 fun facts about Theo Hernandez you need to know.

Early beginnings at Atletico Madrid
Hernandez is mostly known as being a former Real Madrid player and now an AC Milan legend in the making. However, he began his career with Los Blancos' rival Atletico Madrid. However, he never broke through for them, failing to make an appearance for their senior side, before he finally left in 2017 after a season out on loan with Alaves.

A mother's boy
Theo and his brother Lucas had a tough childhood with their father abandoning them when they were both young children. It's their mother who brought up the two of them along with her parents and is someone both brothers are extremely close to even today.
When Theo joined AC Milan in 2019, the first person he told about the move was his mother. Then he informed Lucas that he is moving to Italy.
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Footballing heritage
Hernandez comes from a family of footballers. His father Jean-Francois, as already mentioned above was a defender who played for Atletico Madrid. Additionally, Hernandez's elder brother Lucas Hernandez is also a famous footballer, who plays for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Both Theo and Lucas began their playing careers at Atletico Madrid before the former joined Real Madrid in 2017. In 2019, Lucas would join Bayern Munich for a club-record fee of €80m.

Lucky no.19
Since his loan move to Real Sociedad in 2018, Hernandez has donned the number 19 on his jersey. When asked in an interview why he chose this number, the AC Milan left-back said the number gives him good luck.
And Hernandez's words have come true as since he changed his jersey number his career has improved tenfold, with the French defender winning the league with AC Milan and representing France at the 2022 World Cup, on the way to becoming one of the best left-backs in football right now.
Could have represented Spain
Early in his career, the former Real Madrid defender hinted at changing his allegiance from France to Spain after not being chosen for their U21 side for a long time in 2017.
However, in 2019, Hernandez, however, refuted any chance of him switching over to Spain and stated that he only wants to represent France at international level.
Skipped international duty to go on vacation
The above-mentioned tension between the French Football Federation and Hernandez stemmed from the defender refusing to attend France U21s international friendlies in 2017, later being photographed holidaying with friends in Spain.
However, since then Hernandez has reaffirmed his commitment to France, making his debut for the national team in 2021.
Loves his tattoos
To anyone who has seen him, it's evident that Hernandez loves his ink. His body is adorned with many tattoos, such as one on his right arm which reads "Fight for what you want" in Spanish. Other tattoos include Roman numerals, a statue of Julius Caesar and another one of the Colosseum on his right forearm and right wrist.
Thus, it's perhaps no surprise that Hernandez is currently in a relationship with model and tattoo artist Zoe Cristofoli!
Gets to play under his idol
Very few players get to learn from their heroes directly during their careers. But Hernandez not only gets to learn under his idol but one of the best defenders of all time, Paolo Maldini, who is the current technical director at AC Milan.
Like Hernandez, Maldini played as a left-back during his playing days, becoming one of the most renowned players to ever play in that position. The French defender has stated he has looked up to the Italian legend, and in fact the latter had a big role in convincing him to join AC Milan in 2019.
Loves Italian food
Adapting to Italy wouldn't have been a problem for Hernandez, as some of his favourite food belongs to Italian Cuisine. The French defender has stated that some of his favourite foods are pizza, pasta and risotto. Seems like AC Milan don't have to worry about losing the defender any time soon with him playing at his best and getting to enjoy things he likes.
Looks up to Marcelo
While Maldini is who Hernandez looks up to most as a player, the AC Milan vice-captain also looks up to former Real Madrid teammate and left-back Marcelo. It's no wonder that he is good in both offence and defence as his idols are full-backs who excelled in both parts of the field.
Milan's Player of the Season in his first year
Hernandez didn't take much time to impress with AC Milan, and even while the Rossoneri weren't at their best for the most part of the 2019-20 season, the French left-back was a major positive presence on the field for them throughout the campaign. Thus it's no surprise that he won their Player of the Season award that year.
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In the Team of the Season three consecutive years
Hernandez has improved upon his performances from his debut season to become not only one of the best left-backs in Serie A but for all of football at present. In the process, he has also helped AC Milan win their first Serie A title in 11 years. For his excellent displays, he has featured in the league's Team of the Season in every campaign he has taken part in.
Speaks Spanish and French
Having spent most of his life in Spain and France, the AC Milan left-back is fluent in the languages of both countries. In fact, Hernandez has himself stated that while he is bilingual he is better at speaking Spanish than he is at speaking his native language French.