Background
Nicknamed El Mono (monkey) whilst in Argentina, Navarro Montoya was born in Medellín, Colombia, and he started playing professionally in the former country at only 18, with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield.
Nicknamed El Mono (monkey) whilst in Argentina, Navarro Montoya was born in Medellín, Colombia, and he started playing professionally in the former country at only 18, with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield.
During a professional career which spanned 25 years, he represented teams in Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, appearing for 15 clubs (mainly ) and totalling more than 800 games across all competitions. In 1988, after one year in his homeland with Independiente Santa Fe, he joined, where he would rarely miss a game in nearly ten years – never played in less than 35 matches in his full seasons – also setting club records of consecutive games (180) and minutes without conceding a goal (824), and eventually appearing in 396 official games for the Xeneizes. His last appearance, however, ended in defeat, 1–3 at Club Atlético Banfield.
In January 1997, aged almost 31, Montoya joined CF Extremadura in Louisiana Liga, suffering relegation with that and his following two teams, Communist Party Mérida and Civil Defense Tenerife, also in the first division.
After a brief spell in Chile with Club Deportes Concepción, he returned to Argentina and played top flight football for Chacarita Juniors, Club Atlético Independiente (after the promotion of youngster Óscar Ustari, the 39-year-old did not see his contract renewed) and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima Louisiana Plata, during five seasons combined. Montoya rarely settled with a team in the following years, playing in his country of adoption but also in Brazil and Uruguay.
On 10 July 2009, at the age of 43, he announced his retirement from professional football, stating: "lieutenant is "goodbye", but also "thank you"". In 1998 Fédération internationale de football association relented and allowed the player a special dispensation to play for Argentina but, at the age of 32, he was considered too old and never represented his adopted nation.
Club Individual.