Just noticed he appears to be wearing a Pokemon t shirt haha
Please remind Pickford he’s gotta catch em all on Saturday lad
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Please remind Pickford he’s gotta catch em all on Saturday lad
chrismpw
Player Valuation: £70m
She's quite easy on the eyes.
Some people have it all, wealth, talent, good looks, intelligence - others aren't like me and Hamez.
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
He is definitely wearing a Pokemon t-shirt. James loves playing videogames.
I knew I loved him but I didn’t realise we could be best friends too <3
Deulofeumygod
Player Valuation: £35m
Has a Harry Potter tattoo as well.
Toffe3m4n
Player Valuation: £80m
I noticed that too lol I believe Adidas have a range of Pokemon-themed footy clobber out there, oddly!
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
Sassy Colombian
Member: Team PoP
The earliest Premier League assessments of James Rodriguez have aged badly. “Not quick enough, likely to struggle with England’s intensity, and unsuited to this country,” was the verdict of Manchester United's recruitment department to Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2010.
United declined the opportunity to pursue Rodriguez, who instead moved to Porto, the first staging post on a journey through European football that has taken in some of the continent's biggest clubs and now sees him leading Everton's renaissance as a Premier League force ahead of this weekend's Merseyside derby.
The United may well wonder what might have been, although they only have themselves to blame. “United’s scout in Argentina, Jose Mayorga, was a big fan of James,” recalls Marcelo Teixeira, who worked for United across South America between 2008 and 2011 and who was responsible for recruiting the likes of the Da Silva twins, Rafael and Fabio. “Mayorga always included James’ name in his reports, but the evaluation from the club was that his playing style didn’t suit the Premier League.
“Basically, their analysis was that he didn’t have the speed required to thrive and adapt to the intensity of the (English) game. United’s chief scout [Jim Lawlor] regarded other names like Maylson [now playing for Brazilian fourth-tier side Pelotas] and Douglas Costa [Bayern Munich] higher than James.”
There is still an air of regret to Teixera's voice as he remembers scouting the young James, who had made his professional debut as a 14-year-old for Colombian Second Division club Envigado. “I travelled a few times to Buenos Aires to watch James play for Banfield – I did that for at least two seasons before Porto moved ahead and snapped him up in 2010.
“At that same time, I had also recommended another promising teenager, Oscar [then a rising star at Sao Paulo], but the feedback I received was the same: he didn’t suit the Premier League. So, in the end, we ended up missing out on both of them.”
United were not alone among elite clubs concluding James too lightweight. Barcelona walked away from a deal four years before Real Madrid signed him for £63million, then the fourth most expensive transfer of all time.
Even James’ decorated La Liga career did not entirely erase the suspicion that initial judgments were right. When Everton completed the shock move last summer, there were plenty of whispers beyond Goodison Park suggesting it was no more than a Farhad Moshiri vanity purchase.
“If he is so good and available for £20m, why have none of the top six gone for him?” was the common, withering aside. Even the coach who gave James his 2006 debut for Envigado - making him the second youngster professional in his country's history - received news of the transfer with caution.
“I had my doubts,” says Hugo Castano. “When you talk about the Premier League, you talk about a very dynamic football, with almost no space, that doesn’t let you breathe, let alone think. But James is surprising everyone, and I believe he will carry on that form because his intelligence is way above any physical concern.”
With Everton top of the league heading into this weekend’s derby, and James arguably the Premier League’s top performer, who is facilitating Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal spree, the signing of the summer thus far is obvious.
In many ways, James appears built for sporting success. This is no South American streetfighter in the Luis Suarez or Carlos Tevez mould, fighting his way up from an impoverished background to unimaginable European riches.
James' childhood in Ibague was comfortably middle class, and footballing talent was in the genes courtesy of his father, Wilson, a professional who played at under-20 level for Colombia and used his connections to maximise his son’s opportunities. His mother, Maria de Pilar Rubio, and stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo, were hands-on to the point of micro-managing his career. Castano says the player's entourage purpose-built him for stardom.
“Bear in mind that he had better conditions than anyone else,” says Castano. “Wilson had been my player with Deportivo Cucuta and his family built this whole structure around him, reaching a point where you may say that they had converted him into a company.
“I always stress how far his mother and his stepfather went to make sure he had everything he needed. They wanted to hire a psychologist, a nutritionist and a physical trainer for him. I remember that people made fun of them. They joked and wondered if that was really necessary. It sounded too obsessive, but now look where James is.”
The move to Envigado followed celebrated performances in Colombia’s premier youth tournament, the Pony Futbol Cup, which has produced other stars such as Radamel Falcao. Playing for Academia de Tolimense under-13s, James scored 13 goals in nine games, including direct from a corner in the final.
“When I heard James was competing at the Pony Futbol Cup I asked somebody from the club to bring him to me,” says Castano. “Coincidentally, I found out that Envigado’s owner (Gustavo Adolfo Upegui Lopez) had already put his eyes on him and was sorting the financial details to sign him. A while after, he joined.
“It was part of our philosophy at Envigado to give young players a chance in the first team whenever we felt they were ready, so, by the end of this season, we decided to play him against Deportivo Cucuta, one of the best teams in Colombia back then. James was still 14, but he did well. He played with character and had no fear. He distributed the ball and took a great free-kick. He was impressive.
“He would train with us in the morning and then, in the afternoon, do some extra work with his (personal) staff. Despite his age, he never complained. “When you are younger, you usually have more pace, and although James wasn’t the fastest player around, he made that up with his intelligence. His movement to drag defenders out of position was something else. Some may say that he was a bit slow, but, no, not at all.”
James may be a genuine superstar, but he is a quiet character, often ill at ease in the spotlight. His family employed a speech therapist to help overcome a stutter which contributed to his introverted character - it is barely detectable now - but he found no difficulty in expressing himself on the pitch, and had assisted Envigado to promotion by his mid-teens, in 2007.
“When James started to make headlines, his family came to me and said, ‘So, what else can we do?’,” says Castaño. “When Envigado were relegated (in 2008), James’ future was unclear. He was a good player, but just that. At that point, his family approached me and said, ‘Help us out. What is going to happen with James now?’ You could sense the distress in their voices.
“I invited his stepfather to my house and explained to him, ‘I’ve got three or four options here, agents who are friends of mine and maybe can help with this.’ One of them was an Argentinean who I had recently known, Silvio Sandri. ‘If you want, I can call him and ask him to come to Colombia’.”
James joined Argentina’s Banfield aged 16, overcoming homesickness to prove his qualities at a higher level. The personal sacrifices paid off as he began attracting the attention of European scouts.
“The move to Banfield was very important because he had to suffer a bit, but at the same time learned a lot and became a player with more tactical responsibilities,” says Castaño.
Among the most critical deals was with Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency as the transfers to Porto (2010), Monaco (2013) and then Real Madrid (2014) elevated James towards mega stardom, especially after his spectacular World Cup performance in Brazil, which saw him win the Golden Boot.
“He could have taken a different road and perhaps not reached this far in his career,” says Castano. “This operation didn’t take place because of the Holy Spirit’s work! James’ success is the result of a joint effort of many people. It may sound like I’m complaining, but I don’t think my efforts were fairly appreciated by James’ family!”
For the scout who proposed a Premier League move in 2010, vindication came long ago.
“Looking back, I don’t believe James’ game has changed much,” says Teixeira, the former director of Brazil’s famed Fluminense academy where he mentored Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Liverpool’s Fabinho and West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini. “James is obviously more mature, complete and experienced, but his playing style remains pretty much the same.
“He has always been a joy to watch, he has so much quality and technique. Despite his age, he was already the star of a Banfield side that managed to secure a place in the Libertadores Cup. He was born for the big stages.”
United declined the opportunity to pursue Rodriguez, who instead moved to Porto, the first staging post on a journey through European football that has taken in some of the continent's biggest clubs and now sees him leading Everton's renaissance as a Premier League force ahead of this weekend's Merseyside derby.
The United may well wonder what might have been, although they only have themselves to blame. “United’s scout in Argentina, Jose Mayorga, was a big fan of James,” recalls Marcelo Teixeira, who worked for United across South America between 2008 and 2011 and who was responsible for recruiting the likes of the Da Silva twins, Rafael and Fabio. “Mayorga always included James’ name in his reports, but the evaluation from the club was that his playing style didn’t suit the Premier League.
“Basically, their analysis was that he didn’t have the speed required to thrive and adapt to the intensity of the (English) game. United’s chief scout [Jim Lawlor] regarded other names like Maylson [now playing for Brazilian fourth-tier side Pelotas] and Douglas Costa [Bayern Munich] higher than James.”
There is still an air of regret to Teixera's voice as he remembers scouting the young James, who had made his professional debut as a 14-year-old for Colombian Second Division club Envigado. “I travelled a few times to Buenos Aires to watch James play for Banfield – I did that for at least two seasons before Porto moved ahead and snapped him up in 2010.
“At that same time, I had also recommended another promising teenager, Oscar [then a rising star at Sao Paulo], but the feedback I received was the same: he didn’t suit the Premier League. So, in the end, we ended up missing out on both of them.”
United were not alone among elite clubs concluding James too lightweight. Barcelona walked away from a deal four years before Real Madrid signed him for £63million, then the fourth most expensive transfer of all time.
Even James’ decorated La Liga career did not entirely erase the suspicion that initial judgments were right. When Everton completed the shock move last summer, there were plenty of whispers beyond Goodison Park suggesting it was no more than a Farhad Moshiri vanity purchase.
“If he is so good and available for £20m, why have none of the top six gone for him?” was the common, withering aside. Even the coach who gave James his 2006 debut for Envigado - making him the second youngster professional in his country's history - received news of the transfer with caution.
“I had my doubts,” says Hugo Castano. “When you talk about the Premier League, you talk about a very dynamic football, with almost no space, that doesn’t let you breathe, let alone think. But James is surprising everyone, and I believe he will carry on that form because his intelligence is way above any physical concern.”
With Everton top of the league heading into this weekend’s derby, and James arguably the Premier League’s top performer, who is facilitating Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal spree, the signing of the summer thus far is obvious.
In many ways, James appears built for sporting success. This is no South American streetfighter in the Luis Suarez or Carlos Tevez mould, fighting his way up from an impoverished background to unimaginable European riches.
James' childhood in Ibague was comfortably middle class, and footballing talent was in the genes courtesy of his father, Wilson, a professional who played at under-20 level for Colombia and used his connections to maximise his son’s opportunities. His mother, Maria de Pilar Rubio, and stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo, were hands-on to the point of micro-managing his career. Castano says the player's entourage purpose-built him for stardom.
“Bear in mind that he had better conditions than anyone else,” says Castano. “Wilson had been my player with Deportivo Cucuta and his family built this whole structure around him, reaching a point where you may say that they had converted him into a company.
“I always stress how far his mother and his stepfather went to make sure he had everything he needed. They wanted to hire a psychologist, a nutritionist and a physical trainer for him. I remember that people made fun of them. They joked and wondered if that was really necessary. It sounded too obsessive, but now look where James is.”
The move to Envigado followed celebrated performances in Colombia’s premier youth tournament, the Pony Futbol Cup, which has produced other stars such as Radamel Falcao. Playing for Academia de Tolimense under-13s, James scored 13 goals in nine games, including direct from a corner in the final.
“When I heard James was competing at the Pony Futbol Cup I asked somebody from the club to bring him to me,” says Castano. “Coincidentally, I found out that Envigado’s owner (Gustavo Adolfo Upegui Lopez) had already put his eyes on him and was sorting the financial details to sign him. A while after, he joined.
“It was part of our philosophy at Envigado to give young players a chance in the first team whenever we felt they were ready, so, by the end of this season, we decided to play him against Deportivo Cucuta, one of the best teams in Colombia back then. James was still 14, but he did well. He played with character and had no fear. He distributed the ball and took a great free-kick. He was impressive.
“He would train with us in the morning and then, in the afternoon, do some extra work with his (personal) staff. Despite his age, he never complained. “When you are younger, you usually have more pace, and although James wasn’t the fastest player around, he made that up with his intelligence. His movement to drag defenders out of position was something else. Some may say that he was a bit slow, but, no, not at all.”
James may be a genuine superstar, but he is a quiet character, often ill at ease in the spotlight. His family employed a speech therapist to help overcome a stutter which contributed to his introverted character - it is barely detectable now - but he found no difficulty in expressing himself on the pitch, and had assisted Envigado to promotion by his mid-teens, in 2007.
“When James started to make headlines, his family came to me and said, ‘So, what else can we do?’,” says Castaño. “When Envigado were relegated (in 2008), James’ future was unclear. He was a good player, but just that. At that point, his family approached me and said, ‘Help us out. What is going to happen with James now?’ You could sense the distress in their voices.
“I invited his stepfather to my house and explained to him, ‘I’ve got three or four options here, agents who are friends of mine and maybe can help with this.’ One of them was an Argentinean who I had recently known, Silvio Sandri. ‘If you want, I can call him and ask him to come to Colombia’.”
James joined Argentina’s Banfield aged 16, overcoming homesickness to prove his qualities at a higher level. The personal sacrifices paid off as he began attracting the attention of European scouts.
“The move to Banfield was very important because he had to suffer a bit, but at the same time learned a lot and became a player with more tactical responsibilities,” says Castaño.
Among the most critical deals was with Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency as the transfers to Porto (2010), Monaco (2013) and then Real Madrid (2014) elevated James towards mega stardom, especially after his spectacular World Cup performance in Brazil, which saw him win the Golden Boot.
“He could have taken a different road and perhaps not reached this far in his career,” says Castano. “This operation didn’t take place because of the Holy Spirit’s work! James’ success is the result of a joint effort of many people. It may sound like I’m complaining, but I don’t think my efforts were fairly appreciated by James’ family!”
For the scout who proposed a Premier League move in 2010, vindication came long ago.
“Looking back, I don’t believe James’ game has changed much,” says Teixeira, the former director of Brazil’s famed Fluminense academy where he mentored Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Liverpool’s Fabinho and West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini. “James is obviously more mature, complete and experienced, but his playing style remains pretty much the same.
“He has always been a joy to watch, he has so much quality and technique. Despite his age, he was already the star of a Banfield side that managed to secure a place in the Libertadores Cup. He was born for the big stages.”
Toffeelover
Player Valuation: £80m
He was not in anyway a Moshiri vanity signing. James was a Carlo signing, Carlo had worked with him before and knew his quality, a World Class player.
Our gain this summer is all the others loss, no doubt in my mind he came to us because of who our Manager was.
Our gain this summer is all the others loss, no doubt in my mind he came to us because of who our Manager was.
Terrarian
Player Valuation: £50m
Just watching this and still can't get over the fact we have a mega star in his prime playing for us, pure crazy.
More people refusing to accept he was a free...
James Rodríguez, Real Madrid to Everton (£20m)
Few clubs enjoyed a better window than Everton. Carlo Ancelotti’s side spent big, but spent wisely – rebuilding their engine room for just over £60m. The recruits have made an immediate impact, with the industry of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucouré helping Everton forge a new identity. Eyebrows were raised over Ancelotti’s pursuit of the 29-year-old Rodríguez to complete his midfield. The Colombian seemed to lose his purpose while floating between Munich and Madrid but looks the perfect fit as the big-name, creative heartbeat of a team whose ambitions heighten with every win.
James Rodríguez, Real Madrid to Everton (£20m)
Few clubs enjoyed a better window than Everton. Carlo Ancelotti’s side spent big, but spent wisely – rebuilding their engine room for just over £60m. The recruits have made an immediate impact, with the industry of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucouré helping Everton forge a new identity. Eyebrows were raised over Ancelotti’s pursuit of the 29-year-old Rodríguez to complete his midfield. The Colombian seemed to lose his purpose while floating between Munich and Madrid but looks the perfect fit as the big-name, creative heartbeat of a team whose ambitions heighten with every win.
Toffeelover
Player Valuation: £80m
Add in Godfrey.
Ring master
Player Valuation: £90m
Article is nearly 6 weeks old, may have changed mind or seen stuff since saying it was a free and even the 12mil as well as the 20mil said
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