Chivas veteran Miguel Ponce recalls difficult start with the Flock | OneFootball

Defender Miguel Ponce has opened up about the struggles he faced when he first arrived at Chivas as a teenager.

Although born north of the border in Sacramento, California, Ponce’s family moved to Guadalajara when he was small before relocating to Tijuana when he was ten.

The Mexico international crossed the border to attend school in the suburbs of San Diego before his performances caught the eye of Chivas and he was offered a trial by the Flock.

Speaking on a club podcast, Ponce admitted loneliness and homesickness almost made him turn his back on the Guadalajara outfit.

“Something I remember was that the day I arrived at the Chivas facilities there were no kids, they were all on vacation,” Ponce recalled.

“After two days that I had been there alone, I couldn’t stand it and grabbed a phone that was outside the Verde Valle offices and I said to my mother: ‘I don’t want to be here anymore, I miss them a lot, I want to go back’.”

Luckily, the now 31-year-old stuck it out and has enjoyed a long and fruitful career with Los Rojiblancos.

Despite having loan spells at Toluca and Nexaca, he has remained on the Chivas books since his shaky arrival.

He played his part on the Mexico U23 team that claimed Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and was also part of El Tri’s 2014 World Cup squad.