Magical talisman Pablo Hernandez signs new two year extension

Pablo Hernandez has been the heartbeat of our Leeds United since he arrived, the silent leader, the creator in chief, The King. For teenage Leeds fans Pablo is a legend. He is the Johnny Giles, Gary McCalister, Billy Bremner for today’s supporters. The fans love him, his teammates love him, his manager loves him and even opposition managers love him... when he isn’t fit to play them. Yesterday fans were delighted as the 34-year-old Spaniard signed a two-year contract extension keeping him at Leeds until the summer of 2022.

There is no doubt that Pablo is playing his best football for many years, he has twice been named Leeds Player of the Year since arriving from Qatari side Al-Arabi in 2016. His pedigree is undoubted, if you went back to around 2010 you would find him at full tilt, taking on the world class revered superstars of Spanish football and beating them. Hernandez hails from Castellón de la Plana in the Valencian Country, Spain. And it is at Valencia that Pablo started his career where in his prime he was one of the crown jewels of The Mestalla. That is no mean feat when consider during his time he shared the pitch with David Silva, David Villa, Juan Mata and Jordi Alba.




Hernandez was one of the stars of that Valencia side that finished 3rd in La Liga and was every bit the star Mata and Silva were that year contributing 8 goals and 8 assists. By the time he left for Swansea his star had waned somewhat and while he sparkled briefly at Swansea he never truly settled it seems. Despite that during the 2013/2014 season Pablo had the best minutes to assist ratio of any Premier League player, he also was the star during what at the time was described as "the best Swansea performance ever" vs West Bromwich Albion and shone brightly with two assists when Swansea beat Cardiff 3-0. Pablo wasn't the player he has been in Spain when playing at Swansea but there were glimpses.

At Leeds Hernandez is reborn, there is no doubting that the 34-year-old Pablo is a top-class Championship player, head and shoulders above most other players on the pitch. Probably the best player to grace the Elland Road turf since we were relegated, it is scary to think what prime Pablo could have done, he would possibly have been one of the top players to grace the turf in decades.

The success Marcelo Bielsa has brought to the team has been amazing but it is hard to believe any of it would have been possible without our magical talisman, Pablo Hernandez.