American’s football dream brings him to Hong Kong after hitting rock bottom in Romania
Leo Montesinos not afraid to upset rivals after quitting university and circling the globe for a chance to prove himself at a higher level
Twelve months after he hit rock bottom, Leo Montesinos has regained the self-belief and hunger that once convinced him to abandon a university degree and move to Costa Rica for his football dream.
Montesinos, who holds both Mexican and American passports, joined Football Club last month and has already been ruffling feathers in Hong Kong.
After a combative display in his team’s 3-0 Senior Shield loss to Eastern on Saturday, opponents Calum Hall and Dani Almazan took it in turns to tell the midfielder he lacked respect. Hall was particularly furious.
Montesinos acknowledged that he sometimes needed to calm himself because he played “aggressively”.
“But you can’t be scared here, there are lots of good foreigners and you have to match their energy,” he added. “Eastern are an amazing team, there is respect … but we’re on the same pitch, with the same opportunity … there’s no reason not to compete.
“They make good money and play at a good level. I want that, and there’s no reason why I can’t get it.”