Montevideo barrio of Carrasco. His family — which included three brothers, a sister, four cousins, his maternal grandmother and her sister — resided in an apartment building on Potosi street, a short distance from the casino and the rambla. He is the son of former player and Uruguayan international Pablo Forlán. Forlán attended multiple schools in the private and state sector. He started at Liceo Francés Jules Supervielle in Buceo, but later switched to Erwy School because it was closer to his home. This was followed by Scuola Italiana di Montevideo and then Liceo 15 in Carrasco. He learned English at school from a young age. As a child, Forlán played tennis at Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club in addition to football, which often took place on the streets. On 14 September 1991, Forlán's sister Alejandra was seriously injured and eventually left handicapped by a car accident that also killed her boyfriend. The cost of the medical bills plunged his family into financial crisis, though this was later averted due to the fundraising efforts of Diego Maradona. Until this point Forlán was also dedicated to tennis, but having been inspired by Maradona's generosity, began to focus more on football in the hope that he might contribute to paying for his sister's treatment himself. Club career Early career Forlán was a boyhood fan of Peñarol and played youth football for both Peñarol and Danubio F.C. In 1995, a 16 year old Forlán moved to France, where he spent four months on trial at AS Nancy, but was ultimately not offered a contract by manager László Bölöni. Independiente Forlán received an offer to join Argentine side Independiente through the help of one of his father's contacts, José Omar Pastoriza. He soon accepted, rejecting a simultaneous offer from Boca Juniors. Arriving in Argentina on 28 January 1998, Forlán made his way up the Independiente reserve teams and thanks to strong performances, started training with the first team. Injuries to several forward players who were ahead of him in the pecking order created an opportunity for the young Uruguayan, who made his professional debut on 26 October 1998 in a match against Argentinos Juniors. Forlán scored 37 goals in 80 league games. His goalscoring attracted the attention of European sides, and in January 2002, Independiente agreed a £6.9 million deal with Middlesbrough of the Premier League; the transfer fee would be paid over 18 installments.