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.

But when the Colombia midfielder steps out to face England in Moscow tomorrow he is a reminder of how some of Jose Pekerman’s squad grew up literally fighting for their lives. Quintero’s story is a mixture of shock, horror and regret, after failing to make the most of the talent that enabled him to escape the drug carteldominated streets of Medellin. He is looking to put the last part right by helping Colombia wreck England hopes of a quarter-final place.

Born in Comuna 13, a hillside slum that was a battle ground for cocaine gangs and paramilitary forces, Quintero was just two years old when his father, Jaime, left the family home to report for national service in March 1995. Jaime was sent to join the Voltigeros Batallion in the Uraba region of the country, but just a couple of days later was reported missing.

One army chief claimed Quintero senior had been caught taking drugs and sent back to Medellin by bus.

Another that he had become embroiled in a fight with an officer and transported back to his hometown by plane to be disciplined. But the reality was the main breadwinner of the Quintero family was missing – and has not been seen since.

A civil court ruled in 2001 that the government was blameless. And the only time Quintero has spoken about his dad was in April when he curiously said: “I was to blame. I won’t talk about it. It’s behind me.”

Quintero’s troubled upbringing failed to quell his prodigious footballing talent and after joining local club Envigado he moved on to Atletico Nacional, then to Europe aged 18 with first Pescara in Italy and then Portugal’s Porto.

He excelled at Porto under Julen Lopetegui – the coach sacked by Spain on the eve of the World Cup – and earned a place in the Colombia squad that reached the quarter-finals in Brazil four years ago. But 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.

His performances in Russia (above after netting against Japan) sparked suggestions Julen 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, 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 and I hope I’ve shown Comuna 13 isn’t just about bad things.”