Cristian Montaño

West Ham United

Montaño joined West Ham United as an under-12 player before he signed his first professional contract in June 2010. In August 2011, he signed a one-month loan deal with League One side Notts County, making his debut on 9 August in a League Cup game against Nottingham Forest, which Notts County lost on penalties after the game had finished 3–3. He scored on his league debut four days later in a 2–1 defeat to Charlton Athletic at Meadow Lane. His loan with the "Magpies" was extended until 9 October, after which he returned to West Ham. Manager Martin Allen said that "he's a fantastic player and what a lovely lad. He's humble, hard-working and dedicated". Soon after leaving Notts County, Montaño signed a one-month loan deal with Swindon Town of League Two. He made his debut for the "Robins" on 15 October, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 away win against Accrington Stanley. His loan was cut short in November and he returned to the Boleyn Ground having scored one goal in four appearances. Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio said that "I don't know if he feels part of Swindon Town. He didn't prove this to me." Days after leaving Swindon, Montaño signed a one-month loan deal with League Two rivals Dagenham & Redbridge. He scored on his debut for the "Daggers" in a 3–2 defeat to Southend United at Victoria Road on 19 November. Montaño's loan was twice extended as manager John Still felt that "it gives us a player who has done very well for a little bit…

As of match played 17 May 2026

Born in Cali, Colombia, Montaño moved to London as a child and holds the nationality of both Colombia and the United Kingdom. He recalled that he "always heard gun shots growing up in Colombia", before moving to England at the age of ten to join his mother, who had emigrated four years previously.

In December 2013, Montaño and two friends were charged with the rape of a woman in Romford, London. He appeared in court in March 2014. He admitted to having sex with the woman but maintained it was entirely consensual. No verdict was returned by the jury and the prosecution dropped the case. Speaking in July 2018, he stated that "My missus is English [and] my two kids were born in England". In 2020, he began co-hosting a mental health podcast called The Men Unite Podcast with Daniel Biddulph. His partner, as of 2022, is finance worker Jo-Hannah Eardley.