Source: TheGuardian
Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma aims to match success of N’Golo Kanté
The Colombia midfielder attracted the admiration of Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid while in Spain but wants to make his mark in the Premier LeagueThis summer the World Cup came to El Cerrito, the Colombian municipality that directly translates as the Small Hill, as friends and family of Jefferson Lerma painted the town yellow. Locals, armed with placards and vuvuzelas, held street parties and huddled to watch the midfielder help his country to the last 16, where they came unstuck on penalties against England.Colombia were out but Lerma had played in each of their four games in Russia and returned home to a hero’s welcome; he was mobbed for autographs, greeted by a huge banner that read orgullo del cerro, the pride of the hill, and that night he was given the most spectacular and surreal guard of honour. People lined the roads as Lerma was paraded across town, waving from the roof of a fire engine, its sirens drowned out by an unorthodox escort of beeping motorcyclists frantically flapping oversized Colombia flags. It proved some homecoming. Related: ‘I’m not sure I’ll wear a waistcoat again’ jokes Southgate on England return Continue reading......read full article
