Exclusive Jhon Arias Interview: The Journey From Quibdó To The World Stage
Exclusive Jhon Arias Interview: The Journey From Quibdó To The World Stage Palmeiras’ Colombian international Jhon Arias was born in Quibdó, the capital of Colombia’s Chocó Department, a region known for producing explosive athletes and technically strong players. It’s one of the wettest cities in the world due to its rainforest location, where rain is a near-daily occurrence, and it has produced several footballing talents, including the likes of Carlos Sánchez, Yerry Mina, Jackson Martínez, and Duván Zapata, just to name a few. Football is deeply embedded in daily life within the Chocó region of Colombia, and street football, which involves close control, improvisation, quick dribbling, balance, and quick reactions, all play a part in developing the technical abilities of players from the region.
“My earliest memories of football are always at home or at my aunt’s house when I was a child, playing with my brother with a ball in the living room,” Arias tells WFi. “It was a time when we were very happy, doing simple things like playing with a ball or sometimes breaking a picture frame or a window in our house. ” Like many youngsters, smashing windows around the house was something every child seemed to experience while trying to recreate their idols on the pitch, but while Jhon Arias began his football journey in his native Colombia, the start to his career took a completely different trajectory from that of the typical South American footballer.
This is because Arias moved to Mexico to begin his youth career with Dorados de Sinaloa, where he played in 2016 before later joining the youth setup at Club Tijuana. “Well, my experience in Mexico was good. I think it was a time that helped me mature, grow, and learn about a new culture in the country, a new way of seeing football,” he explained.
“It happened through my agent, who is Mexican; he managed to take me to Mexico, first to Tijuana, then to Dorados, and it was an experience that I particularly enjoyed a lot. “It was my first international experience, my first experience outside my country, and I think it helped a lot in shaping my character and also showed me that I was capable of adapting to different situations. ” Arias’ professional career started in 2018 when he was loaned to Llaneros FC in the second tier of his native Colombia.
In a solid debut season, he played 31 league matches, scoring five goals. Overall, he made 35 appearances across all competitions and found the net six times. Quite impressive for someone still at the very beginning of his career.
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