Ever since his debut for Colombia 15 years ago, the weight of expectation has followed Rafael Castillo.

But the San Antonio FC midfield talisman wouldn’t have it any other way. Even at the age of 36 years old, it’s arguable that Castillo has higher expectations than anyone else regarding his performance.

“I can’t be below the expectations that have generated for Rafael Castillo,” he said recently to SanAntonioFC.com’s Luis Leyva.

His first season with SAFC in the USL certainly brought glimpses of Castillo’s brilliance. With the swagger and look of a buccaneering pirate in the center of midfield, his ability to strike from distance saw him finish tied for the team-lead with five goals and notch SAFC’s Goal of the Season against the LA Galaxy II. Throughout the season, the Colombian led the way as a new group of teammates meshed around him.

Making 28 appearances for SAFC as the side finished just outside the USL Cup Playoffs positions in the Western Conference, Castillo and the side fought through a season that brought great promise, but ultimately was derailed by untimely injuries to key players. The side finished with only 36 goals in 30 games, putting it 10th in the West, the same as its final position in the standings.

Castillo is certainly hoping for more productivity, and will bring the same battling attitude that has marked his career to SAFC in 2017.

“In regards to goals, I would’ve liked to score more, but I did what I could in the position that I played,” Castillo told Leyva. “If I couldn’t be involved in all the matches last season, then I have to earn my place in every single match this season and continue to give 110 percent and be ambitious.”

San Antonio FC shares Castillo’s ambition. Backed by an ownership group in Spurs Sports & Entertainment that has pushed for success across the numerous clubs it operates, SAFC was a welcome landing place for Castillo as it replaced his previous club in the city’s sporting landscape. Having played two seasons in San Antonio already, Castillo was front and center when Coach Darren Powell began putting together his squad for SAFC’s first season.

“I’ve never thought about leaving San Antonio,” Castillo told Leyva. “I’ve never thought about another team, different colors, or a different stadium. I feel completely comfortable, like I’m part of San Antonio. I feel like I belong in this city, in this organization, and in this team.”

The first order of business for Castillo, now, is to help San Antonio become a contender in the Western Conference. For a side to make the type of leap SAFC is aiming for is certainly attainable; OKC Energy FC went from missing out on the postseason in its first season to a second-place finish in the West last year, while the Charlotte Independence made a major step forward in the Eastern Conference this year, both of which should provide inspiration for Castillo and company.

“Starting a new season is always a huge motivation because there are always new challenges that come with it,” Castillo told Leyva. “To me, the challenge is to make it to the final. I can’t get ahead too much and start thinking about being a champion, but I think it’s an important challenge to want to be in the final. That’s the main objective because thinking about that is thinking that each game we will come out the winners, that our fans will be with us, and that all the support and backup that Spurs Sports & Entertainment are giving us will be answered with positive results.”

As he enters his third decade in professional soccer – Castillo’s professional debut came in 1996 for Deportivo Pereira aged just 15 – the veteran Colombian is eager to be part of San Antonio’s soccer community for many years to come.

“I never want to leave here,” Castillo told Leyva. “I want it to be clear that this is the place where Rafael Castillo always wants to be, as a player and later on, along with this organization and this city, I want to continue to project myself in this sport in this country.”