Taylor Talks Trades From Colombia to Pro Footballer Cristian Montaño’s Rise and Fall Part 1| Episode 105
Feb 13, 2026
01:34:28
In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Livingston FC player Cristian Montaño shares the early chapters of a life that took him from the streets of Colombia to professional football in the UK.
Cristian opens up about growing up surrounded by gang and drug culture, what it was like being exposed to danger at such a young age, and how moving to the UK at 11 years old changed everything. He talks about falling in love with football, being spotted for his talent, and earning a move to West Ham where the dream of becoming a professional became reality.
But the journey was far from straightforward. Cristian reflects on the pressure that came with success, how quickly things can change in football, and what it felt like to see everything he had worked for begin to slip away. This episode is about ambition, identity, resilience, and the lessons learned when life takes an unexpected turn.
Part 1 tells the story of the rise and fall
Part 2 Shows the rebuild
Like, comment, and subscribe to follow the full journey in the next episode.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylortalkstrades
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taylor-talks-trades
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylortalkstrades
Spotify 👉 https://spoti.fi/3ZMHf5L
Apple Podcasts 👉 https://apple.co/3Lri8RM
Cristian opens up about growing up surrounded by gang and drug culture, what it was like being exposed to danger at such a young age, and how moving to the UK at 11 years old changed everything. He talks about falling in love with football, being spotted for his talent, and earning a move to West Ham where the dream of becoming a professional became reality.
But the journey was far from straightforward. Cristian reflects on the pressure that came with success, how quickly things can change in football, and what it felt like to see everything he had worked for begin to slip away. This episode is about ambition, identity, resilience, and the lessons learned when life takes an unexpected turn.
Part 1 tells the story of the rise and fall
Part 2 Shows the rebuild
Like, comment, and subscribe to follow the full journey in the next episode.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylortalkstrades
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taylor-talks-trades
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylortalkstrades
Spotify 👉 https://spoti.fi/3ZMHf5L
Apple Podcasts 👉 https://apple.co/3Lri8RM