Former Ecuador coach tips Estupiñán to ‘make people forget about Theo Hernandez’ at Milan | OneFootball

Jorge Celico, the Argentine head coach who first called up Pervis Estupiñán to the Ecuadorian national team, has tipped the left-back to succeed at Milan and believes ‘he can absolutely make people forget all about Theo Hernandez.’

Speaking in an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb, Celico praised Milan-bound Estupiñán as “exceptionally quick and dynamic” with “outstanding passing ability”, as the Ecuadorian looks set to leave Premier League club Brighton to join the Rossoneri.

DUESSELDORF, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 27: Pervis Estupinan of Ecuador controls the ball during the international friendly match between Japan and Ecuador at Merkur Spiel Arena on September 27, 2022 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

‘Estupiñán never made me regret calling him up’ – Celico

Back in 2019, when the player was on loan at Osasuna from English club Watford, Celico handed the left-back his debut for the national team, albeit in a harsh 6-1 defeat to Argentina. Since then, he has become a mainstay for Ecuador, playing 48 times and scoring four goals.

When asked why he chose to give Estupiñán his first call-up, Celico replied “When I picked him, I already had a deep understanding of the boy from his time at LDU Quito. When I got the chance to coach Ecuador’s senior national team, after working with the youth squads, I called up Pervis for my very first match in charge, against Peru.

“He didn’t make it to that game due to a visa issue since we were playing in the United States but I called him up again for the match against Argentina. He immediately showed his qualities, without fear. He never made me regret the decision and today he is a key figure for Ecuador.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Pervis Estupinan of Brighton & Hove Albion looks on during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Craven Cottage on December 05, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Celico determines if Estupiñán can reach the level of Theo Hernandez

Estupiñán arrives at Milan with big boots to fill. Theo Hernandez completed a move to join former Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi at Al-Hilal this summer and the Ecuadorian has been selected to help fill the void left by the Frenchman.

Celico was asked if he thinks the Ecuadorian can reach the levels reached by the former Real Madrid defender, to which he argued that “Even though they are different types of players, I believe he can absolutely make people forget about Theo Hernandez and succeed at Milan. He’s matured significantly in his game, reaching very high performance peaks.”