Javier Hernández's father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, himself a previous Mexican international striker, said he never thought his son would actually make it as a professional.

Javier is commonly known as "Chicharito", meaning little pea in Spanish, in reference to being the son of Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, who was nicknamed Chicharo (pea) because of his green eyes.

Javier joined CD Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract when he was 15.

He was set to play in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but an injury sidelined him from the team that ultimately won the championship.