Cristian Gamboa, defender and right back for Bochum, was born on the 24th of October, 1989, which makes him 35 years old. Originating from Costa Rica, Gamboa measures in at a respectable 1.75m (5ft 8in) and carries a weight of 67kg (10st 7lb). On the pitch, he's easily identifiable in his number 2 jersey.
The player commenced his professional football career in July 2010, transferring from Liberia in the Primera Divsión (Costa Rica) to Fredrikstad in the Eliteserien (Norway). During the seasons 2010 and 2011, he made a combined total of 27 appearances in league matches, even managing to score once.
In August 2011, Gamboa moved from Fredrikstad to FC Copenhagen in the Superliga in Denmark. The terms of his transfer included no publicly disclosed fee. By August 2012, Gamboa found himself transferred again, this time on loan to Rosenborg in the Eliteserien in Norway.
During his loan period at Rosenborg, Gamboa made a total of 40 first-team appearances in league matches, spanning over the seasons from 2012 to 2014. By January 2013, his performance had garnered enough attention that the loan was made permanent. Rosenborg bought his contract from FC Copenhagen for a fee of around £350k.
In August 2014, Gamboa made a significant leap to English football, transferring to West Bromwich Albion in the Championship league. His appearances during the 2014 and 2015 seasons were sporadic, with only 11 first-team league matches under his belt.
By August 2016, Gamboa then made a move to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, with the transfer fee approximating £1m. His tenure at Celtic was a slightly inconsistent one. His peak was the 2016-2017 season, with 17 showings in first-team league matches. Comparatively, he made a singular appearance in each of the following two seasons. His stay at Celtic, notwithstanding its inconsistency, was memorable and is talked about among the Celtic faithful.
Alas, in August 2019, Gamboa transferred from Celtic to Bochum of the Bundesliga in Germany. His time at Bochum has been prosperous. Between the 2019-2020 season and the ongoing 2024-2025 season, he had made over 120 first-team appearances and even managed to score thrice. This Costa Rican defender is indeed a player who's carved out a noteworthy career for himself.
