The story of Gonzalo Plata is one of resilience, determination, and the unwavering support of his family. Raised by his mother, Mónica Jiménez, Gonzalo’s journey is a powerful tale of overcoming hardship in pursuit of footballing success. At just five years old, Gonzalo fled his poverty-stricken home, driven by a dream to make it in the world of football.
That year, in 2005, Gonzalo showed up at a Rocafuerte FC training session, unaware that the academy was scouting for talent. Fortunately, Mónica’s son was the one they chose.
Gonzalo’s childhood was marked by the absence of his father, who abandoned the family when Gonzalo was just a few months old. Left to raise her children alone in a poor suburb of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Mónica sold stew made from fish, shrimp, milk, and shredded coconut to provide for her family and send her children to school. Her determination to see Gonzalo succeed as a professional footballer never wavered.
Guayaquil, where Gonzalo was born, is a place known for producing footballers who rise from humble beginnings. Like many of these players, Gonzalo’s life story is one of struggle and perseverance. He fought hard, facing numerous challenges with various soccer clubs, as seen below, before finally achieving his dream and making his family proud.
These ID cards tell a story about Gonzalo Plata’s football journey.
Preamble:
This biography not only tracks his professional rise but also offers insights into his life off the pitch, including his relationships, personal interests, and the values that guide him. Join us as we delve into the life of Gonzalo Plata, a true gem of Ecuadorian football. We’ll explain the decision he made in a bid to get his family out of poverty. And finally, how Gonzalo Plata found success in soccer.
To whet your autobiography appetite on the engaging nature of Gonzalo Plata’s Biography, we’ve made it necessary to unveil to you his Early Life and Rise Gallery. No doubt, what you see below tells his history and story. Gonzalo Plata has truly come a long way in his footballing journey.
A Boy’s Brave Decision: Gonzalo Plata’s Escape from Home to Football Glory
Gonzalo Plata Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname “El Diablo.” And his full names are Gonzalo Jordy Plata Jiménez.
Gonzalo Plata was born on the 1st day of November 2000 to his Mother, Mónica Jiménez and Father, Mr Plata in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Guayaquil is also the birthplace of his fellow Ecuadorian teammate, Leonardo Campana.
Plata came to the world as one among numerous children (all boys) born to the short-lived marital union between his Dad and Mum.
Among Gonzalo Plata’s parents, his Mother (Mónica Jiménez) is the person he cherishes the most. Pictured here, she (to date) remains his biggest inspiration and guide.
This is Mónica Jiménez, the superwoman and fighter. She is the proud mother of Gonzalo Plata.
Growing-Up:
Gonzalo Plata spent his boyhood years in his family’s residents located at L Street, between 24 and 19, in the suburb of Guayaquil, Ecuador. A greater part of his growing-up years was spent alongside his brothers.
One of them is Bryan Quinteros Jiménez. Other of Gonzalo Plata’s siblings (other brothers and no sister), whom we have pictured here, are also worthy of our mention.
The Ecuadorian footballer spent his childhood years alongside these persons (whom he calls family). One of them is his brother named, Bryan Quinteros Jiménez (the oldest sibling).
Gonzalo Plata Early Life:
Back in the day, in his Guayaquil family abode, everyone knew he was destined to play soccer.
Gonzalo Plata fondly remembers his childhood very well. He remembers the great experience of playing soccer barefoot.
Also, Gonzalo Plata remembers the act of moulding anything he finds into a soccer ball. Also, he would kick whatever looked like a ball which he found in his path.
Gonzalo Plata’s childhood days were truly an unforgettable time – full of soccer stories that are fun and touching.
By playing barefoot, everything from his balance, speed, stability and agility became built on his legs.
Also, as a kid, Gonzalo Plata’s ability to play with the moulded ball made his feet do more work, and it subconsciously improved his running form – which is something we enjoy seeing him do today.
In the year 2005, the life of the Ecuadorian footballer changed forever. Gonzalo Plata was five years old when he fled his family’s home.
He did that without the consent of his Mother (Monica) and Brothers. The boy fled home to pursue his football destiny, which we’ll explain as you continue to read his Biography story.
Gonzalo Plata Family Background:
Mónica Jiménez, his mother, is a businesswoman who owns a restaurant in Guayaquil. She once specialized in selling encocados, rice as well as all kinds of meat and vegetable stew.
In the absence of tangible income from his Dad, Gonzalo Plata’s Family survived only with his Mum’s restaurant business.
The early beginnings of the Ecuadorian footballer were filled with struggles and overcoming. And discussions about Gonzalo Plata’s parents are mostly centred around Mónica Jiménez, his Mum.
His Dad was totally absent in his upbringing. And that contributed to Gonzalo Plata’s poor family background.
Because of a lack of finances, Gonzalo Plata could only afford to live with his mother and four brothers in a house made up of bamboo cane.
This house, made up of wood, was located in the poorest suburb of Guayaquil. Just like Marcus Rashford‘s Mum, Monica struggled a lot in raising her five children alone.
Gonzalo Plata’s Father Left the Family:
When Mónica Jiménez’s ex-husband left her, she started working as a domestic helper. Later on, Plata’s mother opened a stall (a small shop) with her little savings.
At first, Monica began selling encocados (stew prepared with fish or shrimp, milk, and shredded coconut).
This little business helped her have some monies, first to feed her boys. Thanks to this little income, Gonzalo Plata’s family became a little stable.
When the savings increased, Mónica Jiménez was able to give all of her children at least basic education.
An interview with No-Ticias (an Ecuadorian media outlet) gave us detail about his parents’ social status. First, it says that in the beginning, Gonzalo Plata’s family lived in a cane house in the suburb of Guayaquil.
Thanks to Plata’s football monies, the lives of his family members have changed forever. As observed here, there is an obvious increase in the standard of living for both Gonzalo’s nuclear and extended family members.
Once upon a time, Gonzalo Plata’s mum could not afford to serve the entire family (including extended) this food from her restaurant business. Today, Mónica Jiménez is proud to do that, thanks to her son’s footballing success in Europe.
Gonzalo Plata was born into a large household that once had money problems. Today, his poor family background is now history.
Gonzalo Plata Family Origin:
To start with, the Winger holds Ecuadorian nationality, meaning he is a citizen of Ecuador. Both of Gonzalo Plata’s father and mother are from Ecuador. In this South American country, Spanish is the official language, the main language spoken by most Ecuadorian residents.
While researching, we found that Mónica Jiménez (Gonzalo’s Mum) is a native of San Lorenzo (Esmeraldas).
This is a coastal city in northwestern Ecuador, 460.9 km from Guayaquil. Guayaquil is best described as the home of Gonzalo Plata’s family.
Also, it is the home of Michael Estrada (his fellow national teammate). This is why Gonzalo is very close to him and sees Michal as his big brother.
Pictured here, Guayaquil is Ecuador’s most important commercial port, the home of first-class international tourism and multinational businesses.
This map gallery depicts information about Gonzalo Plata’s Family origin.
Gonzalo Plata’s Ethnicity:
We trace his ancestry to the ethnographic division known as African Ecuadorians. Gonzalo Plata’s ancestors (his great-great-grandparents) are of African descent.
We trace his ancestral roots to the persons who were once African slaves that were (many decades ago) imported into Ecuador by Spanish colonialists. Antonio Valencia, Moises Caicedo, Enner Valencia, etc have similar family roots.
Gonzalo Plata Education:
Mónica Jiménez, his mum, used the proceeds from her restaurant business to send Gonzalo and his brothers to school.
Gonzalo’s notebooks suffered because of his passion for soccer. First, his books were always without most pages – as Gonzalo got used to tearing them out to make balls out of paper.
In addition, the school shoes Gonzalo Plata used for school never lasted, as he wore them while playing football. His Mum (Monica) tried to absorb this behaviour with patience.
The wise woman saw the future early, and she knew that her son would become a professional. Hence, there was no need to go hard on him whenever he loses a shoe or school sandal.
Regarding his footballing studies, Gonzalo Plata benefited from the soccer schools of Rocafuerte FC, the Alfaro Moreno Academy and the Guayaquil Metropolitan.
Early on, Gonzalo Plata’s Mum found a way to negotiate with these soccer schools. There was an agreement that Gonzalo would play for them and they will pay his school fees.
This came after Monica approved their facilities. For the superwoman, giving Gonzalo an education was necessary – as a Plan B.
Gonzalo Plata Biography – Football Story:
The quest to become a professional football player started when he fled his family home. It happened when Gonzalo was aged five. He did that without informing his Mum or Brothers of his whereabouts.
A young Gonzalo Plata showed up at a training session which was organized by Rocafuerte FC. Fortunately for him, the club was looking for a new young talent.
From the moment Mónica Jiménez (Plata’s Mum) learned of her son’s disappearance from home, she became scared. So angrily, she waited for Gonzalo to come home with the mindset of disciplining him.
But when Gonzalo Plata’s Mum learned that Rocafuerte FC had chosen her son, she quickly swallowed her anger and congratulated him.
In the absence of his father, the oldest of Gonzalo Plata’s brothers (Bryan Quinteros Jiménez) and their mother took turns to take him for training. To reach the Rocafuerte complex (the training destination), both brothers had to take up three buses. Today, everyone in the family is glad that the effort has paid off.
At the beginning of her son’s Rocafuerte career, Mónica Jiménez expressed some new fears. She worried that Gonzalo would drop out of school if his academy mandated him to practice every day. In case football didn’t work out, Monica believed Gonzalo’s schooling was his Plan B.
The coaches of Rocafuerte FC intervened about her fears. They held a meeting with Monica, advising her not to worry but to support her son because he was very talented. At first, she resisted (out of fear). Mónica Jiménez later agreed to allow her son to practice every day.
The Motherly Fight:
On one particular day, Rocafuerte FC coaches did not allow Gonzalo Plata to participate in a Championship final because of a muscle tear.
A vibrant Monica (his mother) refused to let that happen. Did you know?… Gonzalo Plata’s mother got into a fight with the coaches. She warned them that her son must play in that tournament final.
Mónica Jiménez took it upon herself to make her son recover from his muscle tear injury. Gonzalo’s Mum spent the whole morning grinding local medicines and applying them to the affected area.
After some time, she took her son to the doctor to have his injury evaluated – and get a medical clearance.
Thanks to his mother’s concoction, Gonzalo’s injury got cleared, and he was allowed to play in the tournament finals. In that final match, Superstar Gonzalo became the top scorer and also the overall best player in the tournament.
Road to Fame Story:
The boy, after integrating with his new team, wasted no time in wowing the coaches with his skill and dexterity with the ball.
At the age of 11, Gonzalo Plata’s family discovered he had outgrown the team, and that led to the push to get him to a more competitive academy.
In the quest to look for what’s best for his future, Gonzalo tried out a lot of teams. With no ideal selection in sight, the youngster decided to leave his city for Quito, and while there, he joined the LDU Quito Academy.
The quest to find the right club to project his career saw him (get again) move to another city (Sangolqui) where he joined Independiente Del Valle.
While at Independiente del Valle, Gonzalo Plata achieved a meteoric career rise. Bryan Quinteros Jiménez (his older brother) remembers one of the most exciting moments for his family. It was the day a 12-year-old Gonzalo scored a goal like Lionel Messi in the Pony Soccer tournament.
With so much magic in his legs, “El Diablo”, as teammates nickname him, dribbled past four rival opponents in their area. Then, he went toe-to-toe with the rival goalkeeper, and he lifted the ball with so much class to score.
After the match, a soccer journalist asked Gonzalo to who he was dedicating the goal to? Now, these were Bryan Quinteros Jiménez’s words;
Gonzalo told the journalist that he was dedicating the goal to his mother, Mónica, and his brother Bryan, who, during his childhood and until now, had played the role of his father.
The Motherly Fight (Part 2):
Before he became a professional footballer with Independiente del Valle, Mónica Jiménez described her son as a stubborn winner.
A boy who was capable of going to hell so he can win matches for his team. Gonzalo Plata’s Mum also describes herself as a “Lioness” when it comes to protecting her children, especially Gonzalo (whom the family hopes lies on).
On one particular day after helping the Independiente del Valle shirt to victory, young Gonzalo got into a fight with an opponent. The mother of the rival tried to hit Gonzalo. That made Monica furious.
Upon noticing that, Gonzalo Plata’s mum ran to the field in defence of her son. She remembers saying some fearful words to the other mother of the boy who was fighting with Gonzalo. In Monica’s words;
If you hit my son, I will kill you.
The Motherly Fight (Part 3):
Another similar episode occurred in Manta (a port city on Ecuador’s central coast). During a soccer tournament, Gonzalo fouled an opponent, and the fans of the rival team ran to the field to jump in and attack him.
That day, Mónica Jiménez was so afraid and thought poor Gonzalo (who was being beaten) was going to die.
Instantly, she moved to save her son. Gonzalo Plata’s Mum ran into the field, fought some of the rival fans and dragged her son out of the crowd.
The game that day was suspended, and Ecuadorian police began protecting Gonzalo, his Mum, and all Independiente players and coaches.
Despite the protection, the crowd kept throwing stones at them. In fact, they all wanted to lynch Gonzalo.
The Police had to forcefully get him and his Mum out of the city (safely). According to Gonzalo Plata’s Mum, that was the worst experience she has ever gotten on a football field.
The Career Turning:
In that World Cup year of 2018, Gonzalo Plata’s family celebrated him for becoming a professional footballer. That same year, his club deployed him to their U-20 category, where he played in their youth Copa Libertadores.
Gonzalo showed his class by helping his team finish as runner-up. Achieving such a feat earned him a place in Independiente del Valle 13’s senior team. In the year (2019), Ecuador U20 called Gonzalo Plata. They shortlisted him to represent the national junior team in the 2019 South American Youth Championship hosted in Chile.
That youth tournament was big, and it featured big stars like Rodrygo Goes, Thiago Almada, and Julian Álvarez.
The tournament was a “make or break” for Gonzalo. The teenager didn’t just help his country become the champion of the competition. El Diablo got his name in the Tournament’s list of best XI.
Because of his impressive performance, Gonzalo Plata was summoned by coach Jorge Célico to play in the 2019 World Cup in Poland. At this time, the Ecuadorian had already become a role model and Idol to Kendry Paez, a fast-rising football sensation in Ecuador.
In that global event, Gonzalo scored goals, helped Ecuador to finish third place, and won third-best player.
Did you know? The 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup (that gave him fame) had names of some big stars whose biographies we have written.
These big names include Darwin Núñez, Ronald Araújo, Erling Haaland, Sergiño Dest (RB), Timothy Weah, and Boubakary Soumaré. More so, Dan-Axel Zagadou (CB), Yacine Adli, Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincão, Florentino Luís, Rafael Leão, Diogo Dalot and Lee Kang-in.
Gonzalo Plata Biography – Success Story:
Before the Guayaquil native was called to represent his country at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, Sporting Lisbon had won the race to get his signature.
For the first time in his life, Gonzalo Plata was about to leave family and friends behind – to pursue his dreams abroad. A very protective Mónica Jiménez never allowed her son to travel alone.
Upon hearing that her son had gotten a transfer to Sporting CP, Gonzalo Plata’s Mum jumped and cried. Then, she insisted that her baby boy would not travel alone.
Monica held her views on Gonzalo not moving alone when Manuel Sierra, the businessman who manages Gonzalo’s sports rights, called her about the lonely journey he should make.
After much deliberations, Mónica Jiménez gave one condition for the release of her son to travel to Europe alone. According to her, she must travel and stay with him in Portugal until Gonzalo adapts to the discipline at his new club.
Early Life in Portugal:
At Sporting Lisbon, Gonzalo Plata received further soccer education. He was taught more about making runs into the box.
Gonzalo was also taught defensive awareness and the ability to stand over free kicks with his chest out – making deep breaths, much like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Playing football for Sporting CP began slowly but steadily. Gonzalo Plata scored his first Primeira Liga goal in a 2–0 Sporting win over Boavista. He became the footballer who found the back of the net in a win over Maritimo.
Did you know?.. that goal helped Rúben Amorim‘s Sporting CP (which had the likes of Nuno Mendes (LB), Pedro Goncalves (AM), Goncalo Inacio, etc.) win its first Primeira Liga title. History has it that this had not been won in 19 years.
Young Gonzalo celebrating his first European trophy alongside family members.
Gonzalo Plata’s Sporting Lisbon success story didn’t end there. The pacey Ecuadorian also bagged two extra trophies with the Green and Whites.
They include the Taça da Liga and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira – which he won in a single season. Achieving such a feat made Plata become a Premier League transfer target.
The decision to play for his Idol:
On August 31, 2021, Gonzalo Plata (as a way of honouring one of his soccer idols) signed for Real Valladolid on loan.
This Idol in question is no other than Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima. This Legend (pictured below) became the majority owner of Real Valladolid in 2018 – owning 51% of the club’s shares.
Ronaldo will never forget Gonzalo Plata’s role in being Valladolid’s influencer.For the sake of his idol, Gonzalo Plata did not mind playing in the Spanish Segunda División (second division of Spain’s football league).
The Ecuadorian footballer didn’t just become a superstar in Ronaldo’s club, he (in the 21/22 season) helped Valladolid gain promotion to La Liga.
In addition to helping Real Valladolid gain promotion to La Liga, The Rising winger achieved another feat. He scored goals that helped Ecuador qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Gonzalo Plata used the 2022 FIFA World Cup to announce his name on the global stage. Such feat earned him transfers to Saudi Arabia’s Al Sadd and Brazil’s Tite’s side Flamengo.
We sincerely hope the boy from Guayaquil achieves it. The rest of Gonzalo Plata’s Biography, as we say, is now history.
Having told you his Career story, it is now time to explain his relationship life. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Personal Life away from Football:
Who is Gonzalo Plata?
Starting off, the Ecuador winger describes himself as the son of a Lioness. By implication, Gonzalo is a Lion who represents the Scorpio zodiac sign. You can relate this Lion status to the earlier words of Mónica Jiménez.
Gonzalo Plata sees himself as confident and fearless, like a lion.
The footballer has so much determination, which is common to most African footballers (the likes of Boulaye Dia (CF), Franck Kessie (DM), Yves Bissouma, etc) who come from poor family backgrounds.
Gonzalo is resourceful, dedicated, and the type who never gives up until he achieves his goals in life.
Gonzalo Plata Lifestyle:
Thanks to a proper upbringing by his mother, the Ecuadorian footballer is someone who doesn’t like showing off. Plata is not the type of footballer who displays his wealth on social media or boasts about his wages.
Accident with Gonzalo Plata’s car:
Throughout his stay in Europe, he has only gotten into one incident. Gonzalo, just like Canadian footballer Cyle Larin, has once gotten into police trouble for being intoxicated while driving.
On December 8, 2021, Gonzalo Plata got involved in a car accident – as revealed by Marca. Gonzalo Plata’s car hit a taxi, causing it to overturn and his two occupants to be injured. Thankfully, nobody died in the accident.
Gonzalo Plata’s car once smashed into a taxi whose driver was taken to hospital alongside a female passenger.
Spanish Police ran an alcohol test, and they discovered Plata was driving while intoxicated. In fact, the Ecuadorian doubled his permitted blood alcohol level.
Reacting to the incident, Plata’s club, Real Valladolid, published a statement condemning Plata’s behaviour. The club also announced that they would enact the “appropriate disciplinary measures” on the winger.
Gonzalo Plata House:
Despite making millions from his career, his family still maintains their home in the suburbs of Guayaquil.
While his childhood home is being preserved, Gonzalo Plata (like Vincent Aboubakar) used his football money to build a luxury house for his family in a private urbanization.
The house has both modern looks and designs, which is suitable for all the comforts.
Gonzalo Plata Family Life:
Without the efforts of Mónica Jiménez and Bryan Quinteros Jiménez, he wouldn’t have gotten the best care. This section of Gonzalo Plata’s Biography tells you facts about his family members.
Gonzalo Plata’s Mother:
Starting off, Mónica Jiménez is a woman of principle, and again, money doesn’t move her.
When Independiente del Valle (the club her son once played for) offered her big money in exchange for her son’s sporting rights, Mónica vehemently refused.
Did you know?… Gonzalo Plata’s Mum initially refused the money because she thought she was selling her son.
The club had to explain to Monica that her precious son was not for sale. Meaning… they don’t intend to sell Gonzalo Plata as a person. Rather, it is just the sale of her son’s sports rights.
Gonzalo’s Mum finally then agreed with a laugh. The truth is, Mónica Jiménez sees her son as her greatest pride. This is why she had decorated the wall of their family home with things that represent Gonzalo’s footballing history.
Did you know?… More than 25 items of gold, silver and bronze medals for Gonzalo hang on this wall.
When you visit Gonzalo Plata’s family home, you’ll notice that the living room of the house is designed like an altar in honour of him. Mónica Jiménez ensures all of her son’s early career pictures are framed.
This also includes assembling all of Gonzalo’s medals (more than 25), and every newspaper or press release that references her son.
In Gonzalo Plata’s family home, the living room shelf, next to the television (where his mum and brothers watch football), contains other honours.
They include all of his individual awards (more than 15). Painting the Plata family home with her son’s accolades gives Mónica Jiménez so much joy.
Gonzalo Plata’s Father:
Research has it that his Dad left the family when he was a few months old. Gonzalo Plata’s Father’s absence hindered his development from early infancy through childhood. For this reason, both he, his mother and his three brothers suffered from financial hardship.
In the course of writing about the parents of soccer players, we realize that Gonzalo had suffered a similar situation like other footballers. The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Jurrien Timber, Hernandez brothers (Lucas and Theo), ex-Brentford’s Ivan Toney, etc., all had their Dads deserting their families when they were little.
Gonzalo Plata’s Siblings:
They are three in number (all boys). Thanks to Gonzalo’s success as a professional footballer, the lives of his brothers (pictured below) have changed forever. In this section, we’ll tell you more about the eldest of his brothers.
By their similar resemblance, you can tell they are Gonzalo Plata’s brothers.
About Bryan Quinteros Jiménez – Gonzalo Plata’s Brother:
Starting off, he is the oldest son of Mónica Jiménez. Bryan Quinteros Jiménez, alongside his Mum and agent, manages Gonzalo’s career.
He played an instrumental role in helping him get out of his crisis of confidence during his Early Sporting CP spell. Gonzalo takes lots of advice from Bryan Quinteros Jiménez, especially on his career moves.
Facts about Gonzalo Plata:
In this section of the Football Winger’s Biography, we’ll give you truths you might not know about him. Now, without wasting your time, let’s begin.
Gonzalo Plata FIFA:
If you have ever bought Rodrygo Goes or Miguel Almiron in FIFA career mode, then we can say you love players with top speed. As observed from the stats below, Plata, like Estevao Willian and Aussie wonderkid Nestory Irankunda, excels best in their movement. At 20, he only lacks two things in football – Heading accuracy and Interceptions.
Will you buy the Ecuadorian on FIFA?
Gonzalo Plata Salary Breakdown:
Still considered very small when compared to other footballers, the Ecuadorian makes approximately €520,800 a year at Valladolid.
Judging by his years of earnings, salary breakdown and other sources of income, Gonzalo Plata’s Net Worth (June 2022) is around 2.5 million Euros.
Comparing his Salary to the Average Citizen:
Where Gonzalo Plata comes from, a comfortable Ecuadorian citizen makes around 1,360 USD per month. Did you know that such an Ecuadorian citizen would need 33 years to make what Gonzalo once got every month, with Valladolid, his former club?
Gonzalo Plata Religion:
When it comes to faith, the Ecuadorian identity with Christianity. In fact, Gonzalo Plata and his family members are Roman Catholics.
As a sign of his true devotion to his Christian religious faith, Gonzalo kneels and points his fingers to the sky in admiration for God every time he scores.
EndNote:
Gonzalo Plata holds the nickname “El Diablo”. He was born on the 1st day of November 2000 to his Mother, Mónica Jiménez and a little-known Dad.
Gonzalo Plata grew up in the suburbs of Guayaquil, Ecuador. He spent his early years alongside his brother, Bryan Quinteros Jiménez, mother (Monica), two other brothers with no sister.
Mónica Jiménez, the mother and head of the family, is a businesswoman. Gonzalo Plata’s Mum owns a popular restaurant in Guayaquil.
This business kept the family from salvation – in the absence of his Dad who fled the family while he was a child.
Gonzalo Plata’s family weren’t the rich type. His Mum sold rice as well as all kinds of meat and vegetable stew to pay bills and support household members.
Regarding his ethnicity, Gonzalo Plata is an African Ecuadorian. Both of his parents have their origins in Ecuador, and he has African family roots.
As a child, Gonzalo had the natural gift of football. He once played on barefoot and loved to mould anything he found into a soccer ball.
In the year 2005, when he was five years old, Gonzalo Plata fled his family’s home. He left without the consent of his Mother and Brothers. All he wanted was to find a place to pursue his football dreams. Gonzalo Plata’s whole family – notably his mum – were very worried about his disappearance.
After fleeing home, young Gonzalo Plata showed up at Rocafuerte FC training session. He was very lucky that the academy was looking for new talents.
With the approval of his Mum (Mónica Jiménez) and big brother (Bryan Quinteros Jiménez), he joined the team. Since then, Gonzalo (the hope of his family) has never looked back.
Appreciation Note:
Esteemed fans, we thank you for taking the time to read our version of Gonzalo Plata’s biography.
We care about accuracy and fairness in our constant routine of delivering Ecuadorian Football Stories. It also detailed the biographical stories of South American footballers. Kindly stay tuned for more Ecuadorian Soccer Stories. The Biographies of Pervis Estupinan and Piero Hincapie is interesting for your read.
Please let us know (via comments) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in Plata’s story. Don’t forget to read related soccer stories from Us. On a final note, please let us know what you think about Gonzalo’s career and his amazing story of overcoming.
