Abel Hernández

Abel Hernández     21     Forward/Winger     Palermo

In years gone by, Abel Hernández would perhaps have been an elite 200m sprinter, rather than a footballer. But the elevation of pace and strength over technique in some quarters has led to a widening of the criteria for coaches. Simply put, Hernández is a quintessentially modern player. Blessed with eye-watering speed, imposing physicality and an increasing level of comfort both out wide and through the middle, the Uruguayan looks well placed to follow the likes of Amauri, Edinson Cavani and Javier Pastore away from Sicily at some point in the future.

His debut came as a substitute in March 2009, and since then he has steadily worked his way to the forefront of the Palermo starting XI, aided by the departures of Cavani and Pastore. The managerial merry-go-round favoured by President Maurizio Zamparani has perhaps hindered his development, and it would be nice to see Hernández add more goals to his game (he managed 7 in 2009/10, but only 3 last season), but an outstanding performance against Milan in the Coppa Italia, as well as his first two goals for Uruguay, suggest that with the right nurturing, Hernández will become much more than just a speed merchant.

“Works hard in a team whose other attacking players don't share that ethic. His decision making on and off the field remains poor but has great potential if he can become focused” – Adam Digby (Journalist)

C-     Switch on, stay focussed