Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho 'would always welcome' West Ham signing Javier Hernandez in his squad

Jose Mourinho says that while he "always welcome" Javier Hernandez in his squad, he never thought about bringing the new West Ham striker back to Manchester United.

The Mexico international has signed a three-year deal at the London Stadium after his £16million move from Bayer Leverkusen, bringing West Ham's extensive search for a striker to an end.

'Chicharito' (the Little Pea) had made his name as a ruthless goal scorer at Manchester United between 2010 and 2015, scoring 59 goals in 158 appearances in all competitions at the club, averaging a goal every 142 minutes.

Although Mourinho acknowledges that Chicharito is a player he admires, the Portuguese coach says a return to Old Trafford was never on the cards.

"No, because he left the club a few years ago," Mourinho replied when asked whether he contemplated making a move for Hernandez.

"I’m not sure if it was his decision or the manager’s but he’s a good player, he’s a player that will always score goals.

"I would always welcome him in my squad because he doesn’t need many minutes on the pitch to score.

"But we move in another direction in a younger player in [Romelu] Lukaku and we have [Marcus] Rashford who can be a striker, so we didn’t feel that need.

"But no doubt from West Ham to get a player of his experience and quality is very good."