Football is life! ‘Dani Rojas’ from ‘Ted Lasso’ is on trial at a USL club
Cristo Fernández, beloved by fans around the world for his role as Dani Rojas in the hit TV series Ted Lasso, appears ready to take his soccer dreams from the big screen to reality as he trains with USL championship team El Paso Locomotive FC.
Goal reported that Fernández, 35, spent half an hour for Locomotive in their win over New Mexico United at the weekend, with the Junior Gonzalez-coached side set to determine whether they would sign the actor-turned-footballer to a contract in the coming week.
And this is apparently not the first club Fernández is looking to land with ahead of the upcoming season, with MIR97 Media subsequently reporting that he also spent time with Chicago Fire II a few weeks ago and even scored in a win against USL League One side Forward Madison FC.
It’s unclear whether he took a penalty in either game — or whether there were greyhounds attempting to cross the field when he did — but in the video below (just click right!) you can clearly see Fernández celebrating El Paso’s victory with his teammates.
Fernández is a big soccer fan who often attends professional matches. Fernández’s attempt to land in El Paso represents not so much a new path as a return to the old. A promising player in his youth, Fernández suffered a serious knee injury with his hometown Tecos Fútbol Club at age 15, then turned to acting in college.
Of course, football players appearing on screen isn’t exactly a new phenomenon; Vinnie Jones and the incomparable Eric Cantona among those who traded their boots for the lights of Hollywood. The reverse route is not as common, but not unheard of either, with Sean Connery playing for Bonnyrigg Rose as a youngster and, legend has it, offering Sir Matt Busby a contract after impressing in a spot kick against a team the legendary Manchester United boss happened to be scouting.
