Nilson Angulo reveals Sunderland dressing-room joke and makes ‘his time will come’ teammate prediction
Nilson Angulo is helping Juan Riquelme Angulo settle at Sunderland and believes his chance will come
Nilson Angulo has taken Sunderland summer signing Juan Riquelme Angulo under his wing, offering support as his fellow Ecuadorian adjusts to life on Wearside.
The winger knows the challenges of moving to England, having joined Sunderland at the beginning of 2026. He was delighted when the club brought in another player from his homeland towards the end of the summer transfer window.
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Juan Riquelme, 18, arrived from Independiente del Valle, with Nilson making a point of checking how the youngster was settling into his new surroundings. Speaking to ESPN, Nilson reflected on his own journey before explaining why he wanted to help his compatriot.
“It means a lot, leaving Ecuador and the journey I’ve taken – it’s a dream. I always said I wanted to play in the best league, and here I am,” he said. “It makes me very happy to see a fellow countryman. I try to help him because I know how difficult it is – I ask him how he’s feeling.”
The teenager’s name has also provided a talking point among his Sunderland teammates, with the obvious connection to former Argentina international Juan Román Riquelme prompting some dressing-room teasing. “We tease him about that name,” Angulo added. “The team’s forwards are all very different types of players; he has many qualities, and his time will come. He already told us that he was named after that player (Juan Román Riquelme).”