Hernandez settled now after journey of discovery. Former Real Madrid defender looking for more happy Hampden memories, reports ROB ROBERTSON
JONAY Hernandez watched from the stands as his former team, Real Madrid, enjoyed their own Hampden success story when they lifted the Champions League trophy in May last year.
This Sunday, when the Spaniard takes his place in the Dundee side for the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Inverness Caley Thistle, he hopes to create his own slice of good fortune.
Hernandez was approaching the end of his career with Real Madrid when the Spanish giants, packed with world-class players, reached the final of Europe's premier competition. The defender had joined them three years before, but knew he was never going to have a chance of securing the left-back slot with Roberto Carlos in the team.
He left without playing a competitive first-team game, with his whistle-stop trip to the Champions League final in Scotland as a spectator one of the last times he linked up with the Spanish giants. When the man from Tenerife boarded the official Real charter to Glasgow Airport it was his first time in Scotland. He was in the country for less than 24 hours and, as he sat in the Dundee sun yesterday, he admitted that never in his wildest dreams did he think the next time he would come to Hampden would be to play in a cup semi-final.
"When I finished with Real Madrid my agent told me about the chance to come to Dundee and felt it would be good for my career rather than for me to sign for a club in the lower leagues in Spain," said Hernandez. "In saying that, it was a great experience being at Real Madrid, as even to train with people like Zinedine Zidane was good and I think they are the best team in the world just now, as they showed against Manchester United."
Since he arrived in Scotland last summer he hasn't found the move from the Bernabéu to Dens Park too much of a culture shock and is enjoying having a regular run in the first team. "Although I did not know about Scottish football before I came, I am enjoying it," said Hernandez. "Some of the grounds are obviously not as good as Real Madrid's but playing at Ibrox and Parkhead is a good experience and Hampden looks a good place as well."
His football has come on in leaps and bounds since the start of this season, as has his command of the English language, and for a man who had never been to the United Kingdom apart from the short visit to Hampden last May, Hernandez hasn't taken long to master the vernacular.
In a team which has many nationalities, such an attribute is important and is one of the main reasons why the man who was born in Venezuela but travels on a Spanish passport has settled in easily at Dens Park. "I watch DVDs like Training Day and Collateral Damage with the English subtitles on and memorise the words, which has helped my English a lot," he said. "It is good to understand and speak the language of your team-mates."
Making himself understood in defence will be important against Inverness on Sunday, a game which Hernandez claims is the biggest of his career.
The Scottish Cup semi-final will also be a big day for Gavin Rae, who is at the other end of the scale to Hernandez regarding his time in and knowledge of Scottish football.
Eight-years ago he was the kit boy when Dundee were beaten by Aberdeen in the Coca-Cola Cup final, but times have changed and on Sunday he will run out of the Hampden tunnel a proud member of the present Dens Park side.
Rae believes his best friend since childhood, Dennis Wyness, is the man Dundee will have to stop if they want to progress to the Scottish Cup final. "He should be playing in the SPL as he is a proven goalscorer and has shown his talent time and time again with Inverness," said Rae. "Scotland are struggling for out-and-out strikers just now and Dennis is one of the best in the country. He may be just doing it in the first division but hopefully he will get a chance to do it in the SPL.
"He was always a great player and even when we were kids he was the top man. I remember he scored 17 goals in a game our team won 28-0."
Rae believes if Dundee can put the shackles on Wyness they have a good chance to win, although the fact it took them two games and extra-time to beat Falkirk in the last round is an indication of how tricky first division opponents can be.
Either way, both Hernandez, the foreigner playing at Hampden for the first time, and Rae, the proud Scot who wants to get a national cup final, believe Dundee will be too strong for their Highland opponents.
-April 18th