Conversations with individuals who played a significant role in Jhon Duran’s career at Aston Villa reveal certain recurring themes: a football player with immense raw talent, a strong sense of family, and a need for guidance.
With a goal every 83 minutes in the Premier League, the 20-year-old Colombian forward has gained attention. On Wednesday, he will take on Champions League powerhouse Bayern Munich.One of the youngest goal scorers in the history of Colombian professional football, as well as the youngest international signing in Major League Soccer, has seen quite a quick ascent.
“We told him, today he is here in El Dorado fields, tomorrow he could be stepping into the best stadiums in the world and facing the best players in the world,” BBC Sport was informed by young coach Wilberth Perea Mena, who first had the opportunity to play with Duran at the age of 14.
“He laughed, but I think that dream has come true.”
While scouting a teammate, Chicago File technical director Sebastian Pelzer nearly accidentally discovered him. He claimed to have seen right away that the player had the potential to be a Premier League great.Envigado is a club that takes great pride in its talent pipeline and academy.
Their slogan is ‘Cantera de Heroes’. Cantera means quarry, but in football terminology, it refers to academies.
Although they haven’t won a major championship since their founding in 1989, they have produced a number of Colombian internationals and Champions League players, including Yaser Asprilla, Mateus Uribe, Juan Fernando Quintero, James Rodriguez, and Fredy Guarin.
Envigado is ranked second in the world for providing the most opportunities to young players, after Athletic Bilbao, according to a report earlier this year by the CIES Football Observatory.
