Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez) is among the most proficient and fashionable gamers from Apple TV+s Ted Lassoand he is impressed by an actual life former Premier League footballer. Ted Lasso tells the story of the titular American soccer coach (performed by Jason Sudeikis) who will get employed to handle a workforce within the English Premier League, regardless of his lack of information and expertise concerning soccer (soccer). Fans of the collection and of the actual life sport shortly drew some clear connections between points the present and the precise footballing world. The combative Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) is a play on Manchester United’s Roy Keane, Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) highlights points of many younger soccer skills like Cristiano Ronaldo or Jack Grealish, and Lasso’s membership, AFC Richmond, compares on to Crystal Palace, even filming a lot of the present of their stadium, Selhurst Park.
Rojas enters the present as one in every of Lasso’s gamers who joined the workforce firstly of the season, however suffered a knee damage earlier than he was capable of make an impression. When he lastly recovers sufficient to play, Rojas exudes a extremely contagious optimism and fervour for the sport, consistently operating across the grounds stuffed with vitality, proclaiming to anybody that can pay attention that, “Football is life.” In addition to his successful angle, Rojas brings a brand new degree of talent to the membership, even managing to beat his present star striker in a crossbar problem.
Rojas turns into one thing of an icon for the Crystal Palace-inspired AFC Richmond and relies on actual life identical to lots of the different gamers. While many gamers have comparable traits to him, the most definitely inspiration is Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, whose origins, angle, and prodigious expertise all line up with the traits of Dani Rojas. Like Rojas, Chicharito is from Guadalajara and left Mexico for the Premier League. Although the specifics of Rojas’ childhood aren’t talked about, Cristo Fernandez grew up in Guadalajara and performed soccer from a younger age, so it is easy to think about that the actor channeled these experiences within the position. Chicharito was additionally recognized for his positivity and fervour, recurrently smiling on the pitch and having enjoyable whereas he performed. That ardour swings each methods, nonetheless, and Chicharito additionally exuded apparent frustration when he and his workforce did not carry out. Likewise, Rojas has to hunt the assistance of Sharon, Ted Lasso’s workforce psychologist, to beat his dismay at lacking an necessary penalty and unintentionally killing the workforce mascot.
The Real-Life Dani Rojas Inspiration Explained
The two Mexican soccer stars additionally share one other notable trait: their prowess and rapid influence for his or her groups within the Premier League. When Dani Rojas lastly takes to the coaching floor for AFC Richmond, his talent is obvious as he dribbles via their defenders with ease after which scores with a one-touch volley to the highest nook of the objective. Chicharito additionally confirmed off his exceptional expertise throughout his first season with Manchester United, scoring a formidable 13 Premier League objectives for the membership.
While these similarities and shared sports activities psychology in Ted Lasso’s striker make him akin to the actual ex-Manchester United star, it is tough to say that he was the only inspiration. Other performs corresponding to Neymar or Kylian Mbappé present comparable ardour and expertise, and Chicharito’s type of play does differ from that of Rojas. Rojas is showier, dribbling via defenders to get to the objective. This performs higher on TV, however Chicharito was normally extra of a objective poacher, ready within the field or with the final defender for an opportunity to attain. Although there are some variations, followers of Ted Lasso actually hope that Rojas goes on to make the identical influence on English soccer that Chicharito did.
Where Dani Rojas Inspiration Hernández Is Now
After taking part in for Manchester United from 2010-2015, Ted Lasso inspiration Chicharito performed within the German Bundesliga for 3 years as a member of Bayer Leverkusen, the place he was named Bundesliga Player of the Month a number of instances. After that he transferred again to the Premier League, signing with West Ham United in 2017. Chicharito continued to maintain some accidents throughout his three-year contract, a difficulty that had adopted him round earlier than (and which additionally attracts one other parallel to Dani Rojas) . In 2020, he signed with the American MLS workforce LA Galaxy, for whom he at the moment nonetheless performs, and he is served as a staple striker on the workforce since becoming a member of them. Dani Rojas might not have the identical intensive expertise as Chicharito (but), however he nonetheless appears to be within the early phases of his profession. As one in every of AFC Richmond’s finest gamers, it is attainable that Dani, like Sam, might get an attractive provide to play elsewhere as Ted Lasso progresses.