Another Mexico star is headed to Manchester United.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez moved to the men's squad in 2010, and now Rebeca Bernal has joined the women's team from the Washington Spirit, the clubs announced Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Bernal will become the first Mexican to play in the Women's Super League.
Listed as a midfielder by Manchester United but also able to play center back, the 29-year-old is a versatile player who will give manager Eva Olid flexibility when selecting her team.
“I have experienced a lot of special moments in my career; the privilege of representing Manchester United is truly incredible," Bernal said in a news release. “It is clear that I am joining a great environment, Eva is an excellent coach, and you can see the determination
throughout the whole squad to be successful.
“I cannot wait to begin this new chapter; to give everything, bringing all of my experience and passion, to help push the team and fight together to achieve our ambitions.”
She joined the Spirit after becoming a club legend for Monterrey, appearing in more than 250 Rayadas matches and lifting four league titles in northern Mexico.
Bernal captains the Mexico national team and is hoping to lead El Tri back to the Women's World Cup after Mexico fell short of qualifying for the last two editions.
The team rolled through the opening round of qualification but faces a stiff challenge in a quarterfinal against Haiti on Nov. 28 that will see the winner qualify and the loser needing to go through the playoffs to have a chance at the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
"We know we’ve come up short for eight years,” Bernal said before qualification. “Those have been tough blows for us and obviously for the country. So, we’ve got this challenge. We know the pressure that you deal with in these types of moments, but I think we’re preparing well.”
Before her attention shifts to international duty, Bernal will hope to debut quickly with Manchester United, where she'll wear the No. 16 shirt. The team travels to meet the retooled London City Lionesses in the first match of the season on Sept. 4, then hosts Chelsea on Sept. 13.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexico national team captain Rebeca Bernal joins Manchester United from Washington Spirit
