A 16-year-old who was born with no left arm has made his professional debut for the Colombian club La Uniautónoma.
Lorenzo Orellana, who plays in attack and is in his first semester at the Autónoma del Caribe University where he is studying finances, came on midway through the second half of the Baranquilla derby with FC Junior. The Copa Águila match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Speaking ahead of the game, Orellana said: “I have always said that I was born this way for a reason. I have always accepted myself like I am, which is why it doesn’t bother me that they [his team-mates] call me shortarm. I have no kind of complexes.
“[The loss of] my forearm was from birth and as such, my body has compensated for not having that limb from the beginning. I can move as easily as any other able bodied player. Nothing stops me performing in a natural way. It’s very easy to lose your hope which is why I never stopped in the search for my dreams: playing football and completing a university degree.”
Unfortunately, Orellana may remember the night of his debut for different reasons. He returned from the game to find his best friend and neighbour had died. “I couldn’t tell him how I did,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Who’s going to come and watch la U with me when I’m not selected? Who will say goodbye to me in the mornings like you did?”
