England to play against Panama side that has a player who risked being arrested in Spain

England is set to go head-to-head with a Panama side that has a player in the squad who could’ve been arrested during his time competing in Spain.

The two Group L teams are set to battle it out at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA.

Alberto Quintero of Panama played in Spain as an illegal immigrant

The passion for playing ‘The beautiful game’ is sometimes too hard to ignore, with the sport calling Alberto Quintero, who fell deeply in love with football.

He dreamt of turning his passion into a full-time job and was thus willing to risk being arrested.

The athlete, who grew up in what he described as a ‘wooden shack’, got his big break in 2008 after getting a trial in Spain for amateur side Torrellano.

While his tourist visa ran out after three months, the determined competitor wasn’t willing to give up on his goals, keeping quiet and continuing to play despite the situation. This left him fearful that the police could arrest him while he was on the pitch.

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The issue eventually came to light when the Panamanian transferred to Spanish second-tier club, Cartagena, where the side’s president paid £20,000 to fix the problem.

During an interview with SunSport, Quintero reminisced: “It was a beautiful experience. There were some months where it was illegal.

“I had two years without being able to come home to see family. But I wanted to succeed, to be a professional footballer.

“So, I went to Cartagena, and they gave me the opportunity to be a resident of Spain.”

Featured Image Credit: Getty