Camilo Duran has three lions tattooed on his arm, a constant reminder of his journey from Colombia to Glasgow via the Portuguese fifth division. The Celtic new boy, who joined for £6 million, said: "I have three lions – they represent my wife Valentina, my daughter Emily and myself. The lion represents strength – and that reflects my journey from Colombia to the fifth division in Portugal to where I am now."
From Medellin to the Azores
Duran came through the ranks at Independiente in Medellin before moving to Flamengo in Brazil and then to Portugal. However, he ended up in the fifth tier, playing for Lusitania in the Azores District League. He said: "It was a beautiful experience, but it wasn't easy, especially being from Medellin. Adapting to Europe was hard, but I think I handled it pretty well."
Rise Through the Ranks
His gamble paid off as he moved to Portimonense and then Qarabag in Azerbaijan, where he impressed in the Champions League. Now at Celtic, he has already scored two goals in friendlies against Sporting Lisbon and Middlesbrough. Duran said: "I know how impressive the fans are here. I watched the last league game and it was crazy. I hope I can be a part of that."
Colombian Dreams
Duran hopes to become the first Colombian to play for Celtic and earn a spot in the national team. He said: "Players like Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez were always big idols of mine growing up, especially Rodriguez. For me, he is the best Colombian player ever. It gives me great motivation to be the first Colombian to play for Celtic."
