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Onel Hernández

{{short description|Cuban footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}

{{family name hatnote|Hernández|Mayea|lang=Spanish}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Onel Hernández

| image = Onel Hernández.jpg

| caption = Hernández training with Arminia Bielefeld in 2011

| fullname = Onel Lázaro Hernández Mayea{{cite web|url=https://mcusercontent.com/78d3589fb61466b549ff752e5/files/d0c51919-ac40-a86f-cf86-d17b5e869543/Prelims.pdf|title=National team roster 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup: Cuba|publisher=CONCACAF}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|02|01|df=y}}{{cite web|url=https://www.canaries.co.uk/player/onel-hernandez|title=Onel Hernández|publisher=Norwich City F.C.|access-date=24 August 2022}}

| birth_place = Morón, Cuba

| height = 1.72 m

| currentclub = Norwich City

| clubnumber = 25

| position = Left winger

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = TuS Westfalia Neuenkirchen

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = FC Gütersloh 2000

| youthyears3 = {{0|0000}}–2007

| youthclubs3 = Rot Weiss Ahlen

| youthyears4 = 2007–2010

| youthclubs4 = Arminia Bielefeld

| years1 = 2010–2012

| clubs1 = Arminia Bielefeld

| caps1 = 28

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = Werder Bremen II

| caps2 = 45

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2014–2016

| clubs3 = VfL Wolfsburg II

| caps3 = 53

| goals3 = 7

| years4 = 2016–2018

| clubs4 = Eintracht Braunschweig

| caps4 = 51

| goals4 = 6

| years5 = 2018–

| clubs5 = Norwich City

| caps5 = 188

| goals5 = 11

| years6 = 2021–2022

| clubs6 = → Middlesbrough (loan)

| caps6 = 17

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2022

| clubs7 = → Birmingham City (loan)

| caps7 = 22

| goals7 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2010

| nationalteam1 = Germany U18

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2021–

| nationalteam2 = Cuba

| nationalcaps2 = 14

| nationalgoals2 = 4

| club-update = 12:35, 12 March 2025 (UTC)

| nationalteam-update = 12:19, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

}}

Onel Lázaro Hernández Mayea (born 1 February 1993) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays as a winger for {{English football updater|NorwichC}} club Norwich City and the Cuba national team.{{cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/onel-hernandez/spieler/regionalliga-nord/2015-16/vfl-wolfsburg-ii |title=Onel Hernandez |website=Kicker |language= de|access-date=2 June 2016}}

He emigrated to Germany as a child, and played in the 2. Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld and Eintracht Braunschweig. In January 2018, he signed for Norwich City, with whom he became the first Cuban to play and score in the Premier League. He spent the 2021–22 season on loan at EFL Championship clubs Middlesbrough and Birmingham City.

Club career

=Germany=

Born in Morón, Cuba, Hernández came through the academy system at TuS Westfalia Neuenkirchen, FC Gütersloh 2000, Rot Weiss Ahlen and Arminia Bielefeld. He made his professional league debut for Arminia Bielefeld in the 2. Bundesliga against SC Paderborn 07 on 1 October 2010. In this game, he was substituted in the 78th minute for Franck Manga Guela by Christian Ziege. He played 28 league games for Arminia Bielefeld from 2010 to 2012. After two years he moved to Werder Bremen II. On 10 January 2014, Hernández moved to VfL Wolfsburg II.{{cite web |url=https://www.football.com/en/onel-hern%C3%A1ndez/ |title=Onel Hernández – Football.com |website=Football.com |access-date=29 January 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=https://www.dfb.de/regionalliga/regionalliga-nord/spieltagtabelle/?spieledb_path=%2Fleague_player%2F230333 |title=Spieltag/Tabelle :: Staffel Nord :: Regionalliga :: Ligen Männer :: Ligen & Wettbewerbe :: DFB – Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V |language=de |website=Dfb.de |access-date=29 January 2016}}

On 2 June 2016, Hernández signed with 2. Bundesliga club Eintracht Braunschweig for the 2016–17 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.eintracht.com/aktuelles/neues/eintracht-verpflichtet-onel-hernandez/ |title=Eintracht verpflichtet Onel Hernández |website=eintracht.com |language=de |date=2 June 2016 |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=3 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603180425/http://www.eintracht.com/aktuelles/neues/eintracht-verpflichtet-onel-hernandez/ |url-status=dead }}

=Norwich City=

Hernández moved to EFL Championship club Norwich City on 25 January 2018, signing a 3{{frac|1|2}}-year contract under German manager Daniel Farke.{{cite news|title=Norwich sign Cuba winger Onel Hernandez from German second division|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11709/11222032/norwich-sign-cuba-winger-onel-hernandez-from-german-second-division|access-date=25 January 2018|publisher=Sky Sports|date=25 January 2018|first=Lyall|last=Thomas}} He made his debut on 3 February in a 1–0 home win over Middlesbrough, as an 86th-minute substitute for Josh Murphy.{{cite news |title=Norwich City 1–0 Middlesbrough |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42841905 |access-date=14 July 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 February 2018}} On 4 August 2018, in the first game of the new season, he scored his first goals in a 2–2 draw at Birmingham City,{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Michael |title='I love this game – it's crazy' Onel bouncing at his big City breakthrough |url=https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/onel-hernandez-on-canaries-birmingham-draw-1-5638403 |access-date=14 July 2020 |work=The Pink Un |date=5 August 2019 |archive-date=7 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807075250/http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/onel-hernandez-on-canaries-birmingham-draw-1-5638403 |url-status=dead }} and added seven more as the Canaries were promoted as champions.

On 9 August 2019, Hernández came on as a second-half substitute in Norwich's 4–1 away defeat to Liverpool, becoming the first Cuban to play in the Premier League.{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=Neil |title=Liverpool 4–1 Norwich City |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49201578 |access-date=14 July 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 August 2019}} He was the first of his countrymen to score in the league too on 27 October, in a 3–1 loss to Manchester United at Carrow Road.{{cite news |last1=Freezer |first1=David |title=Canaries goal-scorer so proud to become first Cuban to score in the Premier League |url=https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/hernandez-proud-to-become-first-cuban-pl-scorer-1-6344087 |access-date=14 July 2020 |work=The Pink Un |date=28 October 2019}}

Hernández joined Championship club Middlesbrough in August 2021 on loan for the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58375989 |title=Onel Hernandez: Middlesbrough sign Norwich City's Cuba winger on season-long loan |publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 August 2021 |access-date=16 September 2021}} He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest on 15 September.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58483585 |title=Nottingham Forest 0–2 Middlesbrough |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 September 2021 |access-date=16 September 2021}} His loan spell was terminated on 14 January 2022, allowing him to join another Championship club, Birmingham City, on loan until the end of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/onel-hernandez-middlesbrough-loan-birmingham-22759243 |title=Onel Hernandez's Middlesbrough loan ends early as winger joins Birmingham City |first=Craig |last=Johns |website=GazetteLive |date=14 January 2022 |access-date=25 January 2022}}

Hernández went straight into Birmingham's starting eleven for the following day's visit to Preston North End and played 83 minutes of the 1–1 draw.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59918634 |title=Preston North End 1–1 Birmingham City |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 January 2022 |access-date=15 January 2022}} A week later, he ran onto a well placed through ball from Lukas Jutkiewicz and "just had to pass it past the keeper" to open the scoring in a 2–1 win over Barnsley.{{cite news |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-ncfc-hernandez-birmingham-sinani-dickson-peters-loans-8639094 |title=City loanee Onel proves a goalscoring talisman for Blues |first=Paddy |last=Davitt |newspaper=Eastern Daily Press |date=23 January 2022 |access-date=25 January 2022}} He was a regular for the remainder of the season, used as a wing-back as well as a winger,{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-coventry-bowyer-hernandez-23705410 |title=Lee Bowyer explains Onel Hernandez's Birmingham City role |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=15 April 2022 |access-date=8 May 2022}} and scored three goals from 22 appearances.

Hernández returned to Norwich for the 2022–23 season, but was used mainly as a substitute in the first half of the campaign.{{cite news |url=https://www.pinkun.com/news/23363960.norwich-city-analysis-onel-hernandez-millwall-win/ |title=Norwich City: Analysis of Onel Hernandez during Millwall win |first=Connor |last=Southwell |newspaper=The Pink Un |location=Norwich |date=5 March 2023 |access-date=6 March 2023}} He came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner against former club Birmingham in late August,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62641669 |title=Birmingham City 1-2 Norwich City |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 August 2022 |access-date=31 August 2022}} but it was only after David Wagner replaced Dean Smith as manager in January 2023 that he became a regular in the starting eleven and repaid Wagner's faith with increased productivity. His second goal of the season came in a 4–2 victory away to Coventry City in late January,{{cite news |url=https://www.pinkun.com/news/23267668.norwich-city-onel-hernandez-hopes-stay-canaries/ |title=Norwich City: Onel Hernandez hopes to stay with Canaries |first=Connor |last=Southwell |newspaper=The Pink Un |location=Norwich |date=23 January 2023 |access-date=6 March 2023}} he supplied two assists as Norwich beat Hull City 3–1 in February,{{cite news |url=https://www.pinkun.com/news/23323314.norwich-city-david-wagner-calls-onel-hernandez-improvement/ |title=Norwich City: David Wagner calls for Onel Hernandez improvement |first=Connor |last=Southwell |newspaper=The Pink Un |location=Norwich |date=15 February 2023 |access-date=6 March 2023}} and his assist for Gabriel Sara in a win against Millwall that took his team into the play-off positions was his fifth.

International career

Hernández has represented Germany once at the under-18 level, in a match against Ukraine in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.dfb.de/u-18-junioren/spiele-termine/spiele/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F254030 |title= Ukraine U 18 1:2 (0:1) Deutschland U 18|website=dfb.de |language= de|date=8 October 2010|access-date=2 June 2016}}

In November 2018, Hernández was called up for the first time by Cuba, but could not play due to political rules against foreign-based players.{{cite news |last1=Ames |first1=Nick |title=Norwich's Onel Hernández: 'It's sad. Cuban players want to play for free' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/mar/29/onel-hernandez-cuba-carrow-road-norwich-city-championship |access-date=2 May 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=29 March 2019}} In March 2021, he was called up for a second time,{{cite news| url= https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2021/march/onel-hernandez-called-up-by-cuba/| title=Onel Hernandez set for historic Cuba debut| work=Norwich City F.C.| date=21 March 2021| access-date=22 March 2021}} and made his international debut in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Guatemala.{{cite news| url=https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2021/march/onel-hernandez-makes-historic-debut-for-cuba/| title=Onel Hernandez makes historic debut for Cuba| work=Norwich City F.C.| date=25 March 2021| access-date=25 March 2021}} On his second appearance, he scored his first goal for the country, equalising in a 2–1 loss to Curaçao.{{cite news| url= https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwich-city/onel-hernandez-cuba-curacao-goal-7856822| title= Historic moment for Hernandez as he nets first Cuba goal| work=The Pink'un| date=28 March 2021| access-date=29 March 2021}}

Personal life

Hernández grew up in Gütersloh after having emigrated from Cuba to Germany with his mother and sister at the age of six.{{cite web |url=http://www.eintracht.com/aktuelles/neues/eine-neue-chance/ |title=Eine neue Chance |website=eintracht.com |language=de |date=2 June 2016 |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=2 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602122159/http://www.eintracht.com/aktuelles/neues/eine-neue-chance/ |url-status=dead }} He was introduced to football by his German stepfather, who believed it would help Hernández integrate better into German society.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/mar/29/onel-hernandez-cuba-carrow-road-norwich-city-championship|title=Norwich's Onel Hernández: 'It's sad. Cuban players want to play for free'|last=Ames|first=Nick|date=2019-03-29|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-08-04|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}

Hernández became a fan favourite at Norwich after a January 2019 interview in which he spoke in praise of catalogue retailer Argos, who gave him a catalogue signed by their CEO as a souvenir.{{cite news |title=Onel Hernandez declares love for Argos to delight of fans |url=https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-46950567|access-date=14 July 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 January 2019}} He did a signing event at their Norwich Riverside store the following March.{{cite news |title='Onel Hernández to your collection point please' - footballer meets excited fans at Norwich Argos store |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/onel-hernandez-argos-shop-meet-and-greet-in-norwich-1-5922906 |access-date=14 July 2020 |work=Eastern Daily Press |date=6 March 2019}}

Career statistics

=Club=

{{updated|match played 11 March 2025|{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/onel-mayea-hernandez/156961/ |title=O. Hernández |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=12 March 2025}}}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes DFB-Pokal, FA Cup}}

!colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup}}

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Arminia Bielefeld II

|2010–11

|Regionalliga West

|5

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—50
rowspan="3"|Arminia Bielefeld

|2010–11

|2. Bundesliga

|10

000colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—100
2011–12

|3. Liga

|18

010colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—190
colspan="2"|Total

!28

010colspan="2"|—00290
rowspan="3"|Werder Bremen II

|2012–13

|Regionalliga Nord

|31

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—310
2013–14

|Regionalliga Nord

|14

4colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—144
colspan="2"|Total

!45

4colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—00454
rowspan="4"|VfL Wolfsburg II

|2013–14

|Regionalliga Nord

|9

1colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—0091
2014–15

|Regionalliga Nord

|31

4colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—314
2015–16

|Regionalliga Nord

|13

2colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—2Appearances in the Regionalliga promotion play-offs0152
colspan="2"|Total

!53

7colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—20557
rowspan="3"|Eintracht Braunschweig

|2016–17

|2. Bundesliga

|34

500colspan="2"|—2Appearances in the 2. Bundesliga promotion play-offs0365
2017–18

|2. Bundesliga

|17

110colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—181
colspan="2"|Total

!51

610colspan="2"|—20546
rowspan="9"|Norwich City

|2017–18

|Championship

|12

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—00120
2018–19

|Championship

|40

81021colspan="2"|—439
2019–20

|Premier League

|26

13100colspan="2"|—292
2020–21

|Championship

|21

01010colspan="2"|—230
2021–22

|Premier League

|0

00000colspan="2"|—00
2022–23

|Championship

|39

21020colspan="2"|—352
2023–24

|Championship

|30

03020colspan="2"|—120
2024–25

|Championship

|20

01022colspan="2"|—232
colspan="2"|Total

!188

11101930020715
Middlesbrough (loan)

|2021–22

|Championship

|17

11000colspan="2"|—181
Birmingham City (loan)

|2021–22

|Championship

|22

3colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—223
colspan="3"|Career total

!409

31131934043535

{{notelist}}

=International=

{{updated|match played 18 November 2024}}{{NFT player|81915|access-date=27 November 2024}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="4"|Cuba

|2021

42
202241
202300
202441
colspan="2"|Total124

:Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hernández goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Onel Hernández{{cite web |url=https://www.concacaf.com/nations-league/news/cuba-down-antigua-and-barbuda-to-create-group-a-logjam/ |title=Cuba down Antigua and Barbuda to create Group A logjam |publisher=CONCACAF |date=10 June 2022 |access-date=10 June 2022}}

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

align="center"|128 March 2021Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala{{fb|CUW}}align="center"|1–1align="center"|1–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification
align="center"|22 June 2021Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala{{fb|BVI}}align="center"|2–0align="center"|5–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
align="center"|39 June 2022Warner Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis{{fb|ATG}}align="center"|2–0align="center"|2–02022–23 CONCACAF Nations League B
align="center"|418 November 2024Estadio Antonio Maceo, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba{{fb|SKN}}align="center"|1–0align="center"|4–02024–25 CONCACAF Nations League Play-in

Honours

Norwich City

  • EFL Championship: 2018–19,{{cite book |editor-first=John |editor-last=Anderson |title=Football Yearbook 2019–2020 |date=2019 |publisher=Headline |location=London |isbn=978-1-4722-6111-3 |pages=258–259}} 2020–21

References

{{reflist}}

{{Norwich City F.C. squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Onal}}

Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Morón, Cuba

Category:Sportspeople from Ciego de Ávila Province

Category:Cuban men's footballers

Category:Cuba men's international footballers

Category:German men's footballers

Category:Germany men's youth international footballers

Category:Men's association football wingers

Category:VfL Wolfsburg II players

Category:SV Werder Bremen II players

Category:Arminia Bielefeld players

Category:Eintracht Braunschweig players

Category:Norwich City F.C. players

Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players

Category:Birmingham City F.C. players

Category:Regionalliga players

Category:2. Bundesliga players

Category:3. Liga players

Category:English Football League players

Category:Premier League players

Category:German people of Cuban descent

Category:Cuban emigrants to Germany

Category:Cuban expatriate men's footballers

Category:Expatriates in the United Kingdom

Category:German expatriate men's footballers

Category:German expatriate sportspeople in England

Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England

Category:21st-century German sportsmen