John Jader Duran He is putting together a great portfolio of figures in a career on the rise. He is not yet 21, but he is becoming more and more established at Aston Villa. International scouts have been keeping an eye on him since 2020. And now he is not only the third top scorer in the Premier League, but also one of the players with the most promise in the Colombian national team.
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He still has some things to improve, both technically and in his behaviour. But his manager at Aston Villa, Unai Emery, has been taking him along little by little.
“His process is going up. He arrived here two years ago and the first six months were not easy for him, but progressively he has played more. He had a difficult injury in pre-season last year and he started playing at the beginning of September or end of August. Progressively, he was improving and, of course, competing with (Ollie) Watkins is difficult, but he had moments to play and his impact last year was sometimes like what he is making now,” said Emery.
Duran queues up
John Jader Duran
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He has been in the national team since September 2022, when coach Néstor Lorenzo called him up for his first round of friendlies against Guatemala and Mexico. Before that, he had already stood out in Envigado: he had made his debut at the age of 14 in professional football, on February 9, 2019, against Alianza. And on August 31, he scored his first goal, against Águilas Doradas.
That year, Héctor Cárdenas called him up for the South American Under-17 tournament in Peru, but neither he nor the team were able to perform. However, Durán was already starting to attract attention, so much so that, in 2020, The Guardian included him in the list of the 60 promising players in world football.
“I worked hard from an early age. I left the Casa de Paz school in my town, many people helped me. I arrived in Envigado with coaches like Wilberth Perea or Alberto Suárez, who made me captain. It was a wonderful stay,” said Durán at that time, in an interview with VBar, from Caracol Radio.
John Jader Duran
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He had not yet turned 18 when the Chicago Fire of the MLS took notice of him. He had to wait to get his ID to finally go and fulfill his dream of playing international football. They bought him in January 2021, but he stayed one more year in Envigado.
“We are excited that Jhon decided to take this next step in his career with Chicago Fire, having further offers from various clubs around the world. His signing is a testament to our club’s vision of becoming a destination for talented young players. Although Jhon is not able to join us immediately, we will work closely with Envigado FC to ensure a smooth transition to the club in January 2022,” said Georg Heitz, Chicago Fire sporting director, to explain the transfer of the then youngest player to arrive in the American league.
The jump to England
Birmingham (United Kingdom), 05/13/2024.- John Duran of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring the sixth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Liverpool in Birmingham, Britain, 13 May 2024. (United Kingdom) EFE /EPA/PETER POWELL EDITORIAL USE ONLY. Do not use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos, ‘live’ services or NFTs. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. Do not use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
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Duran’s career was on the rise. He played 27 games and scored eight goals in the MLS before heading to England for 16.6 million euros, according to the Transfermarkt website.
His first days in England were not easy, at a club like Aston Villa, where, in addition, another Colombian had left his mark, Juan Pablo Ángel. The first year was a learning experience and in his first 12 games, corresponding to the 2022-23 season, he did not score any goals. Then, little by little, Emery put him on the team sheet, but without being a starter. Lorenzo always followed his lead and at the start of the qualifying round, Durán appeared on the list of those called up.
“He has a lot of competition, he is not playing as much as I would like or as much as he deserves, hopefully he will soon be a starter,” said the Argentine in October of last year.
When he was starting to get more minutes under Emery, he suffered a thigh muscle injury that kept him out for a month and a half. But he returned for the end of the season, in which he had his definitive baptism, scoring a double against Liverpool of Jürgen Klopp and Luis Díaz.
Jhon Jader Durán scores his first goal for Aston Villa
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Durán was on the verge of leaving in the middle of this year. There was talk of interest from West Ham and he even appeared on social media crossing his arms, imitating the hammers that adorn the club’s crest, which brought him problems. Finally, after returning from the Copa América in the United States, he returned to Aston Villa and, from the start, showed Emery that he was going for everything.
He has not yet established himself as a starter, but he has already responded, always coming off the bench, with four goals, all to earn points.
“He is a great talent. We see it every day in training. It is important that he remains humble and we will help him achieve that. He is still young,” said teammate Ezri Konsa.
Emery hopes that, very soon, if he focuses, he will be a starter. “He has talent and now he plays more and with more confidence. He respects his teammates. There is still work to be done, but the process is taking place. He is close to playing in the starting eleven and he also has to understand how he can play with Ollie Watkins, both in the starting eleven, but sometimes also alone in different competitions,” said the Spaniard.
Durán will miss the national team’s next match, in Bolivia. An untimely yellow ca
rd against Argentina earned him a one-match suspension. But surely, this goalscorer will return for the match against Chile, knowing that he has to wait in line, but that when he comes on, he will give his all.
JOSE ORLANDO ASCENCIO
Sub-editor of SPORTS
@josasc
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