New Celtic striker Camilo Duran might be absent from tonight's friendly against Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve due to a stomach bug, leaving fans waiting for his debut. The 24-year-old Colombian, signed for £6 million last week, could make his first appearance against Middlesbrough at the weekend instead.
Duran's Rapid Rise
Duran's journey to Celtic has been extraordinary. He started on the streets of Santa Marta, Colombia, and moved to Brazilian giants Flamengo as a youth. After failing to break into the first team, he moved to Portugal, where he played in the Azores district league—the equivalent of Scotland's Lowland League—for semi-professional club Lusitania in front of a few hundred fans.
From there, he joined Portimonense in the Portuguese second division, where his performances earned him a £200,000 transfer to Qarabag in Azerbaijan 12 months ago. At Qarabag, he gained Champions League experience, which led to Celtic's interest.
Former Coach's Insight
Ricardo Pessoa, Duran's former coach at Lusitania and Portimonense, said: "Seeing Camilo reach where he has reached is something I envisioned with him. He was a player of extraordinary quality, a left foot far superior to what you often see, even in the top league."
Pessoa added: "He had some problems, mainly at an emotional and mental level, in terms of training. I managed to help him reach those levels. We had many arguments, but he accepted it and today he recognises that if it hadn't been for that, he would very likely not have gotten there."
Expectations at Celtic
Duran is expected to fill the void left by Daizen Maeda, who is set to depart. He can play as a left winger or through the middle, but Celtic currently lack wide players, so he may initially be deployed on the flank. The £6 million fee and high expectations add pressure, but those who know him believe he has the stomach for the challenge.
