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José Izquierdo Reveals How Family Tragedy and Failure in Tennis Inspired Him to Play Football

Brighton and Hove Albion forward José Izquierdo has revealed how the tragic death of his older brother Diego Julian inspired him to become a professional footballer.

Izquierdo joined the Seagulls from Club Brugge in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £13.5m and has become a real favourite among the fans, as a result of his hilarious off-pitch antics and his vibrant personality.

However, behind the outgoing exterior of Izquierdo is a passionate and committed individual with a tale of his meteoric rise from a difficult upbringing in Pereira, located at the foothills of the Andes, to the Premier League, which stemmed from the death of his older brother when the striker was a teenager.