Celtic’s Costa Rican international right-back Cristian Gamboa has struggled to hold down a regular starting place at Parkhead, but is loving life in Glasgow nonetheless.
Celtic right-back Cristian Gamboa has claimed his son could potentially play for Scotland in the future should he ever make it as a professional footballer.
“One of my kid’s was born here, in Glasgow,” Gamboa told the Herald.
“So Julian is Scottish ‘Costa Rican’ and wherever I go, I will have this piece of Scotland in my heart.”
Despite having only featured three times this season for Celtic, Gamboa successfully made it into his national team squad for their upcoming fixture against Scotland, and will have his eyes on another successful campaign with Los Ticos, whom he has won 62 caps with, in Russia this summer.
Gamboa played every match in his country’s emphatic run to the quarter-finals in Brazil in 2014, losing out on penalties to the eventual third place Netherlands. It was his performances in Brazil that led to his high profile move to the Premier League, which in turn led to his move to Scotland, and Gamboa recalls going into the World Cup back then as a relatively unknown nation, which will be quite the opposite this time around.
“We beat Italy, drew with England and won the group. We then beat Greece in the last 16,” Gamboa recalled.
“After Brazil 2014, everyone knew about Costa Rican football. There players got into good leagues like Spain, Italy, I got a move to England. It helped us to put Costa Rica in the football map.”
Costa Rica have once again qualified for the World Cup, and have been drawn in Group E alongside Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia, another tricky group for Gamboa and co but maybe not quite the same mountain they faced four years ago.
In preparation for the tournament, they take on Scotland in a friendly on Friday night, before taking on one of England’s World Cup Opponents, Tunisia, next Tuesday.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
