Shocker. Benitez lied to him.
Columbian Superstar James Rodríguez has been speaking to @BogotaPost about his time at Everton. The 32 year old left the Merseyside Club in the Summer of 2021 after just 1 season, scoring 6 goals in 26 appearances.
“I was preparing for the new season (2020/21) at Real Madrid when I received a phone call from my old Boss Carlo Ancelotti about the possibility of joining Everton. Carlo has been so good for my Career and someone I consider a real father figure in my life so I was instantly drawn to the idea of coming to England, it was an easy decision. I loved my time in Madrid but I felt that my time at the Club was slowly coming to an end.
Instantly at Everton I felt like a made a real impact with my performances, the Boss (Carlo Ancelotti) believed in me and once again like at previous Clubs he really brought the best out of me and allowed me the freedom to do what I can do on the pitch. It was rather surreal coming to play in England while there was no fans in the Stadiums due to the Pandemic but I’d already got a feel of this situation the season before in Spain.
Despite my on-going problems with injuries I was pleased with my performances that season and really loved playing for such a historic Club in Everton. However things soon changed when the Boss decided to leave Everton for Real Madrid, eventually the Club appointed Rafael Benitez as Coach which was a bit of a shock. It won’t be a surprise to anyone that me and Benitez did not have the best relationship when we were at Madrid.
He questioned my commitment as a professional with my injury problems, this was not something I could control. Training sessions at Everton under him I was made to feel unwanted despite doing everything I could to prove him wrong and get ready for the next season. Eventually we spoke one to one where I told him of my commitment to Everton and that I felt fitter than ever at this point, he reassured me that if I kept working hard that there would be a place for me in his team.
However as the season approached I was told by him that I would not be a part of his plans and that the Club was working on finding a deal to sell me, this was deeply frustrating and quite frankly I felt betrayed. I wanted to stay at Everton but this was not to be. Finally the Club struck a deal with Al-Rayyan where I left. I wish things had turned out differently but you can’t dwell on the past.”
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