ONEL HERNANDEZ, the Cuban-born winger, was denied a swan song goal for relegated Norwich City against Manchester City in his side’s final English Premier League (EPL) game on July 26. 

Hernández, the only Cuban to ever compete in the English top flight, saw his eighth-minute strike overturned following a VAR review as the Canaries crashed 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium to disappointingly sign off their EPL campaign.

And the 27-year-old winger, who showed off his silky skills with an industrious 87-minute display, was again denied a goal on the hour-mark when his right-footed effort from the centre of the box was saved by Brazil shotstopper Edison.

Season

In the Cuban-born player’s only season in the top tier, having kicked off his career in Germany 10 years ago, he scored just once in his 26 appearances. But at least the curtain came down on his EPL career with an impressive performance against the mighty Manchester City, which would surely have made an impact to any on-looking scouts.

Hernández this season made history by becoming the first ever Cuban to compete in the English top tier, making his EPL debut with a 20-minute substitute appearance at Liverpool’s Anfield on the opening day of the current campaign in August.

Defeat

He bagged what turned out to be his only EPL goal, a consolation 88th-minute strike in their 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Manchester United in October. But Norwich, after a promising start, finished as the EPL’s bottom side with a measly 21 points. Hernández’s time in the top tier was determined following Norwich City’s 4-0 home thrashing at the hands of West Ham United on July 11, when their relegation was confirmed.

Hernández, who moved to Germany aged six, penned a shock three-and-a-half-year £2.2m deal with the Norfolk outfit in January 2018 and excelled for a season-and-a half in the Championship. It seems that unless other clubs swoop for the Caribbean-born midfielder then he will return to Championship.

Despite becoming the only Cuban professional player to ever ply his trade in the United Kingdom, Hernández has constantly been overlooked to win an international cap because of political reasons in his homeland.

Refuse

The Football Association of Cuba refuse to allow players into their squad unless they are based in the region. The current national squad comprises of predominantly Cuban-based players, although they boast a pair competing in the Dominican Republic league as well as one player based in both Guatamala and Panama respectively.

As he enters his final season of his contract for the forthcoming 2020-21 campaign, Hernández could help Norwich City bounce back into the EPL for his parting shot in England. Although he has spent one season as a hot-shot in the EPL he remains virtually an unknown on the island of his birth, so a move nearer to his mother in Cuba beckons if he continues to harbour his goal to fulfil international ambitions.