Chicharito' desire augurs well for Bayer

UEFA Champions League Group E looks very tight, doesn't it?

Javier Hernández: I think it's going to be one of the most difficult groups because all four teams have roughly the same chance of going through. It's been tough and you can see that from the points we've got so far. There are still three games left and hopefully we can win them and progress.

Our ambition is to get through and go as far as we can in the best club competition there is. Last season, we almost did it – we just needed another goal against Barcelona, but unfortunately we drew with them at home. Now we have a good chance, so we'll be doing everything we can.

How are you enjoying yourself in Germany since moving to Leverkusen from United in 2015 after a season on loan at Real Madrid?

Javier Hernández is loving life at Leverkusen©Getty Images

Hernández: What Leverkusen have given me is a lot of confidence and playing time, which was something I was looking for and needed. I'm playing 30 games a season and getting to start them all.

It's been like my first year at Manchester United: Sir Alex Ferguson also gave me a lot of game time and thankfully we won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final. Again in my third season, I played a lot of minutes and again won the Premier League. That was all that I needed. Footballers need the chance to play games; thankfully I'm getting those opportunities at Leverkusen.

How does the Bundesliga measure up to other championships you have played in?

Hernández: It's a combination of the Premier League and the Spanish league, because it's physical but you also see a lot of football played. It is one of the best leagues in the world and that will help me improve. I like to provide team-mates with chances, and not just score goals but make good runs and hold the ball up. I try to improve my left foot and in the air to become a more complete striker, and that's something I'm learning in the Bundesliga.

You scored your 100th goal since coming to Europe on matchday two. Which was your most important one?

Hernández: I have scored so many important goals – here at Leverkusen, the goal for Real Madrid [to win the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atlético], and also during my time in Manchester I scored a few that were very important. Certainly, the one against Atlético was the highlight of my time in Madrid. It was the club's biggest game of the season, a Madrid derby. We didn't play very well against them in the cup, being beaten twice, and we also lost twice against them in the league. Apart from getting the goal, I recall having a very good game and think I showed I was capable of playing in that team. The only thing I needed was the opportunity.

What do you remember of the 2011 final, which you lost playing for Manchester United against Barcelona?

Hernández: It was a very special moment for me. I played the 90 minutes against one of the best teams in football history, with Josep Guardiola and all his players right at the top of their game. We also had a very good side, we went in 1-1 at half-time, and then everything changed in the second half with [Lionel] Messi's second and a fantastic goal by [David] Villa. Unfortunately we weren't able to make it any more special, I would have loved to be a Champions League winner, but it's a great memory nonetheless. It was also my first year in Europe and we won the Premier League, so it was one of the bad times in a year full of positives.

If you could replay one game from your career, which would it be?

Hernández: Again, that's a really tough one. There are so many, but I would definitely say that Madrid v Atlético derby in the Champions League quarter-final, then the United match against Chelsea in the Premier League [in May 2011] when I scored after 32 seconds.