Theo Hernandez
Theo Bernard François Hernandez (born 6 October 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club AC Milan and the France national team. Club career. Atlético Madrid. Born in Marseille, Hernandez joined Atlético Madrid's academy in 2007, aged nine. After progressing through the youth categories, he was promoted to the reserves in Tercera División in summer 2015. On 3 February 2016, Hernandez renewed his contract. Two days later, he was called up to the first team for a La Liga match against Eibar due to injuries, but remained an unused substitute in  the 3–1 home win. Alavés. On 4 August 2016, Hernandez extended his contract until 2021, being immediately loaned to fellow league club Deportivo Alavés for one year. He made his professional debut late in the month, starting in a 0–0 home draw with Sporting de Gijón. On 16 October 2016, Hernandez was given a straight red card in a 1–1 home draw to Málaga after a hard tackle on Ignacio Camacho. He scored his first professional goal the following 7 May, netting the game's only goal in a home victory over Athletic Bilbao. A regular starter during the Basque  team's run in the Copa del Rey, Hernandez helped them reach the final for the first time in their 91-year history. During the decisive match on 27 May 2017, he scored the equaliser through a direct free kick in an eventual 1–3 loss against Barcelona. Real Madrid. On 5 July 2017, Hernandez signed a six-year deal with Real Madrid after they met his release clause of €24 million. He made his competitive debut on 16 August, replacing Marco Asensio in a 2–0 home win against Barcelona for that year's Supercopa de España. Hernandez made three  appearances during the 2017–18 edition of the UEFA Champions League, helping the club win its third consecutive and 13th overall title in the competition. On 10 August 2018, he was loaned to Real Sociedad. AC Milan. On 7 July 2019, Hernandez joined Serie A club AC Milan in a deal worth maximum of €20 million. The transfer was approved and carried out by Paolo Maldini, who met with him informally in Ibiza to persuade him to join. Hernandez made his debut on 21 September, playing 18 minutes in the 2–0 defeat against Inter Milan in the Derby della Madonnina . He scored his first goal for the "Rossoneri" on 5 October, helping the visitors come from behind to win 2–1 at Genoa. During his first season with Milan he managed to score 7 goals in all competitions and had 3 assists. On 23 December, Hernandez's 93rd-minute winning goal gave AC Milan a dramatic victory over Lazio to keep them top of Serie A. During the 2020–21 season, Hernandez was the only defender in the top five European leagues to have scored two braces. He was also the defender with the most successful dribbles in Serie A that season  with 73. During his second season with the team, he managed to score 8 goals and assisted 7 in all competitions. On 6 January 2022, Hernandez wore the captain armband for the first time against Roma. On 9 January, he scored a brace in a 3–0 win against Venezia, becoming first defender to score at least three braces in AC Milan's Serie A history. On 11 February, Hernandez renewed his contract with Milan until 2026. International career. On 26 August 2021, he received his first call to France senior squad. He made his debut on 7 September 2021 in  a World Cup qualifier against Finland, a 2–0 home victory. He started and played the whole game. In October 2021, ahead of the UEFA Nations League semi-finals against Belgium, Theo for the first time received a call-up to the national team from Didier Deschamps together with his brother Lucas; the two were later fielded in the 3–4–1–2 formation as a left centre-back and a left wing-back, respectively, making it the first time they played together in a senior competitive game. On 7 October, he scored a late-time winner in the 3–2 victory against the aforementioned  opponent, sending his team to the final for the first time in history of the tournament. Personal life. Hernandez's father, Jean-François, was also a footballer. A centre-back of Spanish descent, he too played for Atlético Madrid; his older brother, Lucas, who plays for Bayern Munich and France, was also developed at the club. He has been dating Italian model Zoe Cristofoli since June 2020. Honours. Alavés Real Madrid France Individual