Ted Lasso fans might not realize that Cristo Fernandez’s Dani Rojas is based on a real player. Ted Lasso follows the titular American football coach (Jason Sudeikis) hired to manage a team in the English Premier League. Fans of the series and of soccer quickly drew some clear connections between the show and the actual footballing world. The combative Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) is a play on Manchester United’s Roy Keane, Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) highlights aspects of many young football talents like Cristiano Ronaldo or Jack Grealish, and Lasso’s club, AFC Richmond, compares directly to Crystal Palace, even filming most of the show in their stadium, Selhurst Park.
Rojas enters the show as one of Ted Lasso’s players who joined the team at the start of the season, but suffered a knee injury before he was able to make an impression. When he finally recovers enough to play, Rojas exudes a highly contagious optimism and passion for the game, constantly running around the grounds full of energy, proclaiming to anyone that will listen that, “Football is life.” In addition to his winning attitude, Rojas brings a new level of skill to the club, even managing to beat their current star striker in a crossbar challenge. From his characterization, there are clues that Danny Rojas is based on a real player.
The Real-Life Dani Rojas Inspiration Explained
Rojas becomes something of an icon for the Crystal Palace-inspired AFC Richmond and is based on real life just like many of the other players. While many players have similar traits to him, the most likely inspiration is Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. Like Rojas, Chicharito is from Guadalajara and left Mexico for the Premier League. Although the specifics of Rojas’ childhood aren’t mentioned, Cristo Fernandez grew up in Guadalajara and played football from a young age, so it’s easy to imagine that the actor channeled these experiences in the role. Chicharito was also known for his positivity and passion, regularly smiling on the pitch and having fun while he played and the giddy enthusiasm he had when Zava joined the team in Ted Lasso season 3.
That passion swings both ways, however, and Chicharito also exuded obvious frustration when he and his team didn’t perform. Likewise, Rojas’s dismay at accidentally killing the team’s mascot or his heartbreak at Zava retiring were evident. The two Mexican football stars also share another notable trait: their prowess and immediate impact for their teams in the Premier League. When Dani Rojas finally takes to the training ground for AFC Richmond, his skill is evident as he dribbles through their defenders with ease and then scores with a one-touch volley to the top corner of the goal. Chicharito also showed off his remarkable talent during his first season with Manchester United, scoring an impressive 13 Premier League goals for the club.
While these similarities and shared sports psychology in Ted Lasso’s striker make him comparable to the real ex-Manchester United star, it’s difficult to say that he was the sole inspiration. Other plays such as Neymar or Kylian Mbappé show similar passion and talent, and Chicharito’s style of play does differ from that of Rojas. Rojas is showier, dribbling through defenders to get to the goal. This plays better on TV, but Chicharito was usually more of a goal poacher, waiting in the box or with the last defender for a chance to score. Although there are some differences, fans of Ted Lasso certainly hope that Rojas goes on to make the same impact on English football that Chicharito did.
Where Dani Rojas Inspiration Hernández Is Now
After playing for Manchester United from 2010-2015, Ted Lasso inspiration Chicharito played in the German Bundesliga for three years as a member of Bayer Leverkusen, where he was named Bundesliga Player of the Month several times. After that he transferred back to the Premier League, signing with West Ham United in 2017. Chicharito continued to sustain some injuries during his three-year contract, an issue that had followed him around before (and which also draws another parallel to Dani Rojas).
In 2020, he signed with the American MLS team LA Galaxy, for whom he currently still plays, and he’s served as a staple striker on the team since joining them. Dani Rojas may not have the same extensive experience as Chicharito (yet), but he still seems to be in the early phases of his career. As one of AFC Richmond’s best players, it’s possible that Dani, like Sam, could get an enticing offer to play elsewhere as Ted Lasso progresses though he seems perfectly content in Richmond.
