Cristian Montaño

Cristian Montaño
Montaño in 2015
Personal information
Full name Cristian Alexis Montaño Castillo[1]
Date of birth (1991-12-11) 11 December 1991
Place of birth Cali, Colombia[2]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Playing position Winger; forward; left-back
Club information
Current team
 Port Vale
Number 3
Youth career
2002–2010 West Ham United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2012 West Ham United 0 (0)
2011 → Notts County (loan) 11 (4)
2011 → Swindon Town (loan) 4 (1)
2011–2012 → Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) 10 (3)
2012 → Notts County (loan) 4 (0)
2012 → Oxford United (loan) 9 (2)
2012–2013 Oldham Athletic 40 (3)
2014–2015 América de Cali 9 (1)
2015–2017 Bristol Rovers 53 (3)
2017– Port Vale 36 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 3 October 2018 (UTC)

Cristian Alexis Montaño Castillo (born 11 December 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays for EFL League Two club Port Vale. A versatile player, he is able to play at left-back or as a forward, though his preferred position is as a winger; he is known for his pace.

Born in Cali, Colombia, he emigrated to London at a young age and joined the West Ham United Academy. He never played a first team game for the club, but did play on loan at Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, and Oxford United. He was signed by Oldham Athletic in August 2012, but was sacked in December 2013 after being arrested for spot-fixing and rape. All charges were later dropped and he returned to his hometown in Colombia to play for América de Cali. He returned to England and joined Bristol Rovers in July 2015. He helped the club to win promotion out of League Two in 2015–16, before he moved on to Port Vale in June 2017.

Early life

Born in Cali, Colombia, Montaño moved to London as a child and holds nationality of both Colombia and the United Kingdom.[4][5] He later recalled that he "always heard gun shots growing up in Colombia", before moving to England at the age of ten to join his mother, who had emigrated four years previously.[6]

Playing career

West Ham United

Montaño joined West Ham United as an under-12 player, before he signed his first professional contract in June 2010.[4] In August 2011, he signed a one-month loan deal with League One side Notts County,[7] making his debut on 9 August in a League Cup game against Nottingham Forest, which Notts County lost on penalties after the game had finished 3–3.[8][9] He scored on his league debut four days later in a 2–1 defeat to Charlton Athletic at Meadow Lane.[10] His loan with the "Magpies" was extended until 9 October,[11] after which he returned to West Ham.[12] Manager Martin Allen said that "he's a fantastic player and what a lovely lad. He's humble, hard-working and dedicated".[13]

Soon after leaving Notts County, Montaño signed a one-month loan deal with Swindon Town of League Two.[14] He made his debut for the "Robins" on 15 October, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 away win against Accrington Stanley.[15] His loan was cut short in November and he returned to the Boleyn Ground having scored one goal in four appearances.[16] Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio said that "I don't know if he feels part of Swindon Town. He didn't prove this to me."[17] Days after leaving Swindon, Montaño signed a one-month loan deal with League Two rivals Dagenham & Redbridge.[18] He scored on his debut for the "Daggers" in a 3–2 defeat to Southend United at Victoria Road on 19 November.[19] Montaño's loan was twice extended as manager John Still felt that "it gives us a player who has done very well for a little bit longer."[20][21]

Montaño again joined Notts County on loan in February 2012.[22] However he played only four games in his second spell and the loan was not extended and he returned to West Ham in March.[23] On 16 March, Montaño returned to League Two when he joined Oxford United on loan as a replacement for ex-loanee Lee Holmes.[24] His first goal for the "U's" came on 7 April in a 2–1 away defeat to Northampton Town.[25] Manager Chris Wilder decided to extend the loan spell after finding that striker Tom Craddock would not recover from his injury before the end of the season.[26] In total he scored ten goals in 39 appearances for four different clubs across five separate loan spells during the 2011–12 season.[27]

Oldham Athletic

In August 2012, Montaño signed a two-year contract with Oldham Athletic, with the option of a third year, for an undisclosed fee (reported as being £50,000).[28][29] Manager Paul Dickov said that: "I gather he could have stayed at West Ham, but he was keen to move because of his wish to play football rather than being a squad player."[30] He scored two goals in 33 games in the 2012–13 campaign after missing two months with a torn thigh muscle.[31] He scored twice in 15 games in the first half of the 2013–14 season.

He was sacked by the club in December 2013 on the grounds of gross misconduct relating to alleged spot-fixing in relation to the 2013 English match fixing scandal.[32] He said he was preparing to head to Manchester to speak to manager Lee Johnson when a club director rang to ask his location, the director then informed the police, who came to his location and arrested him, and the club announced that they had sacked Montaño whilst he was at the police station; he said "no-one from Oldham spoke to me about it. ... they were turning against me, I was left on my own".[33] In November 2014, having been released from bail but with investigation still ongoing by the National Crime Agency, Montaño announced his intention to sue Oldham Athletic for unlawful dismissal and loss of earnings; this would be the remaining £39,000 of his £1,500 a week wages and compensation of £76,500.[34][29] The spot-fixing charges were dropped in January 2015.[35][36]

América de Cali

Following his dismissal by Oldham Athletic, Montaño returned to his hometown to play for América de Cali in the Categoría Primera B. He scored one goal in nine league games in the 2014 season to help the "Scarlets" to a fifth-place finish, and also made seven appearances in the Copa Colombia. He featured twice at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero in the 2015 season before returning to England.

Bristol Rovers

Montaño playing for Bristol Rovers in 2016

Montaño joined Bristol Rovers in July 2015; manager Darrell Clarke stated that "he comes with quite a lot of baggage [but] I know that he is desperate for another opportunity to play league football and I'm a firm believer in giving everyone a second chance".[37] He scored two goals in 31 appearances as the "Gas" secured automatic promotion out of League Two in 2015–16.[38] He signed a contract extension of an undisclosed length in June 2016.[39] He played 31 games in the 2016–17 campaign before he was released in April 2017.[40] Clarke said that "Montaño was a very tough decision, it was borderline really. But there has to be a freshness and a bigger freshness than we've had in the last couple of seasons".[41]

Port Vale

Montaño signed a two-year contract with newly relegated League Two side Port Vale in June 2017.[38] Manager Michael Brown stated that "hopefully he will be an exciting player for us. We have someone who has to put the ball in the box – to feed the Pope!"[42] Montaño impressed in pre-season, however struggled at the start of the 2017–18 season after picking up a troublesome hamstring injury.[43] The injury developed into a tear in early September, ruling him out of action for two months.[44] He returned to action as a late substitute on 17 October, when he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win at Morecambe.[45] He went on to establish himself in the first team and scored three goals within the space of four days at the start of December.[46] He was sent off after giving away a penalty in an FA Cup match at Yeovil Town on 12 December, but was defended by manager Neil Aspin, who claimed it was a "soft" penalty.[47] Montaño became unpopular with some supporters, but was praised by Aspin after filling in at left-back in February.[48] He excelled in his new role, and was one of the "Valiants" most in-form players until he was sidelined with a hamstring injury in mid-April.[49] Aspin handed him a new two-year contract the following month and told the press that "I felt it was imperative to what we want to do next season that we got him signed".[50]

He struggled with injury at the start of the 2018–19 season, missing most of September with a knee injury and then breaking down upon his return to action at home to Milton Keynes Dons on 2 October, leaving the team to go down to ten men after leaving the pitch 20 minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute.[51]

Style of play

Montaño is an extremely pacey left-sided attacker; Bristol Post reporter Jack Vittles said that "he has a decent left foot but sometimes his final delivery wasn't quite there", and that he is "an out-and-out winger" who prefers to beat defenders with pace and skill to reach the byline to put in a cross.[52]

Personal life

In December 2013, Montaño and two friends were charged with the rape of a woman in Romford, London.[53] He appeared in court in March 2014, and admitted to having sex with the woman but maintained it was entirely consensual.[54][55] No verdict was returned by the jury and the case was dropped by the prosecution.[54][56] Speaking in July 2018, he stated that "My missus is English [and] my two kids were born in England".[57]

Statistics

Club Season Division League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] EFL Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Ham United 2010–11[58]Premier League0000000000
2011–12[27]Premier League0000000000
Total 0000000000
Notts County (loan) 2011–12[27]League One154001000164
Swindon Town (loan) 2011–12[27]League Two4100000041
Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) 2011–12[27]League Two103000000103
Oxford United (loan) 2011–12[27]League Two9200000092
Oldham Athletic 2012–13[59]League One30121001[lower-alpha 2]0332
2013–14[60]League One10220102[lower-alpha 2]0152
Total 403411030484
América de Cali 2014[61]Categoría Primera B9170––00161
2015[61]Categoría Primera B0010––1[lower-alpha 3]020
Total 9180––10181
Bristol Rovers 2015–16[62]League Two28200102[lower-alpha 2]0312
2016–17[63]EFL League One25130102[lower-alpha 2]0311
Total 533302040623
Port Vale 2017–18[64]EFL League Two30420003[lower-alpha 2]2[lower-alpha 2]356
2018–19[65]EFL League Two6000100070
Total 364201032426
Career total 176211715011220924
  1. ↑ Includes appearances and goals for FA Cup and Copa Colombia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appearance/s and goal/s in the EFL Trophy.
  3. ↑ Appearance/s in the Categoría Primera B promotion tournament.

Honours

Bristol Rovers

References

  1. ↑ "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "MEET THE TEAMS WEST HAM UNITED" (PDF). West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 551. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  4. 1 2 "Cristian signs". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  5. ↑ "Youth – 2009/10". www.whufc.com. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "Cristian Montano shooting for the stars, after once dodging bullets". Nottingham Post. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Notts County sign West Ham forward Cristian Montaño". BBC Sport. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  8. ↑ "Nott'm Forest 3 – 3 Notts County". BBC Sport. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  9. ↑ "Montano makes league bow". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Notts County 1 – 2 Charlton". BBC Sport. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  11. ↑ "Cristian signs for longer". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Montano signs off in style". West Ham United F.C. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Notts boss Martin Allen closes in on Montano replacement". BBC Sport. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Swindon Town sign West Ham forward Montano on loan". BBC Sport. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  15. ↑ "Accrington 0–2 Swindon". BBC Sport. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  16. ↑ "West Ham's Cristian Montano in early Swindon Town exit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  17. ↑ "Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio unsure on Montano stay". BBC Sport. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "Dagenham & Redbridge sign Montano and Spillane". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  19. ↑ "Dag & Red 2 – 3 Southend". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  20. ↑ "Dagenham & Redbridge keep West Ham striker Montano". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  21. ↑ "West Ham's Cristian Montano signs Dagenham & Redbridge extension". BBC Sport. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Notts County sign Cristian Montaño for a second loan spell". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  23. ↑ "Notts County boss Curle is in 'dreamland'". www.thisisnottingham.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  24. ↑ "Oxford United sign West Ham forward Cristian Montaño". BBC Sport. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  25. ↑ "Northampton 2–1 Oxford United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  26. ↑ Pritchard, David (17 April 2012). "Montano stays to boost Oxford United's bid". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  28. ↑ "Latics sign Montaño". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  29. 1 2 Herbert, Ian (15 January 2015). "More woe for Oldham as sacked player plans to sue for £100,000". The Independent. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  30. ↑ "Montano can be matchwinner". oldhamathletic.co.uk. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  31. ↑ "Cristian Montano: Oldham Athletic winger out for two months". BBC Sport. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  32. ↑ "Montaño sacked". Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  33. ↑ Smith, Ben (27 January 2015). "Cristian Montano: Ex-Oldham winger angry at double standards". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  34. ↑ "Cristian Montano: Ex-Oldham star accused of spot-fixing to sue club". BBC Sport. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  35. ↑ Chambers, Matthew (15 January 2015). "Case against Montano withdrawn". Oldham Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  36. ↑ "Football 'spot-fixing' case dropped". BBC News. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  37. ↑ "Cristian Montano: Bristol Rovers give midfielder 'second chance'". BBC Sport. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  38. 1 2 3 Baggaley, Mike (20 June 2017). "Port Vale sign former Bristol Rovers winger Cristian Montano". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  39. ↑ "Cristian Montano: Bristol Rovers forward agrees new contract". BBC Sport. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  40. ↑ "Bristol Rovers: Five offered new deals but eight to leave, including Christian Montano". BBC Sport. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  41. ↑ Vittles, Jack (29 April 2017). "Clarke on why Montano is leaving but Gaffney and Harrison are staying". Bristol Post. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  42. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (26 June 2017). "Port Vale boss says winger can be crowd favourite". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  43. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (6 September 2017). "We'll soon see the best of Montano, says Port Vale boss". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  44. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (9 September 2017). "Port Vale reveal major injury blow for Cristian Montano". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  45. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (17 October 2017). "Report as Port Vale feed Tom Pope and win 3-0 at Morecambe". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  46. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (11 December 2017). "Cristian Montano ready to hit Port Vale goals". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  47. ↑ "Neil Aspin: Port Vale boss says two red cards in FA Cup exit at Yeovil were 'kick in teeth'". BBC Sport. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  48. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (19 February 2018). "Neil Aspin says Cristian Montano can solve left back issue". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  49. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (9 April 2018). "Port Vale deliver bad news on Cristian Montano injury". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  50. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (3 May 2018). "Port Vale agree deal with Cristian Montano after contract scare". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  51. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (2 October 2018). "'I am not stupid' Port Vale's Aspin defends Montano decision in MK Dons defeat". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  52. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (20 June 2017). "Scouting report on Port Vale signing Montano: 'He's fast!'". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  53. ↑ "Sacked Montano on rape charge". Oldham Chronicle. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  54. ↑ "Former West Ham player Cristian Montano and friends 'gang-raped' woman at Romford apartments, trial hears". Newham Recorder. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  55. ↑ "Gang rape case star is cleared". Oldham Evening Chronicle. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  56. ↑ Baggaley, Michael (3 July 2018). "Port Vale's Colombian ace Cristian Montano previews England World Cup game". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  57. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  58. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  59. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  60. 1 2 Cristian Montaño at Soccerway
  61. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  62. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  63. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  64. ↑ "Games played by Cristian Montaño in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
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