In an interview with TNT Sports Argentina, shared by Bolvaip, West Ham United forward Taty Castellanos discussed how he was rejected by River Plate twice during his youth career. The 27-year-old from Mendoza had trials at both River Plate and Club Atlético Lanús. He initially made it into the River Plate program but was later told he was too slim during his second trial.
Taty Castellanos Talks About Being Rejected by River Plate for Being Too Slim
Castellanos mentioned that growing up in the Mendoza League, he often struggled with food security. Competing against academy players from River Plate, who trained in gym facilities and lived on-site, highlighted the physical differences he faced.
After returning home, he asked his mother to support a gym membership and worked on building his physique. By 2015, he had signed with Universidad de Chile, then moved to Torque, followed by New York City FC in 2018. In 2022, he transferred to Girona and joined Lazio a year later before West Ham acquired him for £25 million in January. Lazio’s manager, Maurizio Sarri, admitted he regretted letting Castellanos go.
“I hadn’t played in the AFA [Argentine Football Association], and I went to River Plate and Lanús for trials. I made the River Plate team the first time, but the second time, they made me come back after two months and told me I was too skinny. I needed to grow a bit physically. It’s normal because I was playing in the Mendoza League; sometimes, I didn’t even eat,” Castellanos explained.
“I was competing against kids from River Plate’s academy who spent all day in the gym, went to school there, and lived in the boarding house. They had an advantage; they would just launch a long ball, and that was it. I returned to Mendoza and told my mom, ‘I need you to pay for a gym membership. I realized I was missing that element and needed to grow. My football skills were good; I knew how to handle the ball, but I lacked physical strength,” he added.
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