Subcomplexes of a Closed Combinatorial Surface

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I know that a requirement for a finite connected simplicial complex $K$ to be a closed combinatorial surface is that the link of any vertex is a simplicial circle. So, suppose that $C$ is a subcomplex of $K$ such that $C$ is a simplicial circle. Is it generally the case that there is a vertex $v \in K$ such that the link of $v$ is $C$?

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To the contrary, it is not generally the case.

If $K$ is not homeomorphic to a sphere then it is never the case, because $K$ always has a simplicial circle $C$ which is not homotopic to a constant, namely the image of the shortest closed edge path which is not path homotopic to a constant.

And if $K$ is homeomorphic to a sphere then it might be true, but still I would say that the simplicial structures on a sphere which have that property are an exception: imagine a very fine simplicial structure on the sphere for which the equator is a simplicial circle.