Amazing story behind Colombia playmaker plotting to derail England’s World Cup dream

JUAN QUINTERO refuses to talk about the mysterious disappearance of the father he never knew. the reality was the main breadwinner of the Quintero family was missing – and has not been seen since.

Amnesty International opened a file on his disappearance, while his sister Silvia refuses to give up her search for truth more than 22 years later and helps to run an organisation that helps families of people who have been “disappeared” by the authorities.

A civil court ruled in 2001 that the there was a spectacular fall from grace after mixing with the wrong crowd and hitting the music scene harder than one of his trademark free-kicks.

It got to the point where the player once compared to Lionel Messi was threatening to quit the game to take up a career as a rapper.

A loan spell with Rennes was cut short when the French club kicked him out for bad behaviour and he returned to Colombia to play for Independiente Medellin.

Last December, Argentina’s River Plate agreed to pay Porto a £300,000 loan fee with a commitment to make the deal permanent a year later for £4.5million.

And now Quintero is once again looking the player he used to be, providing the ammunition at international level for James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado.

His performances in Russia (above after netting against Japan) sparked suggestions Lopetegui has told his new employers at Real Madrid to see if the deal with River Plate can be gazumped.

Gareth Southgate will certainly be aware that if the little No.20 is given time and space, he has a left foot that can pick apart England.

Whatever happens in the Spartak Stadium, Quintero will never forget his roots. In the aftermath of the win over Senegal that sealed Colombia’s date with England, he said: “This is for the whole community in Comuna 13.

“I love the people of the neighbourhood very much and I hope I’ve shown Comuna 13 isn’t just about bad things, but also good things.”