A lot of talk from the Real Madrid camp has been on the much-maligned winger Gareth Bale, but not enough talk has been about the impressive form shown by James Rodriguez at the tail-end of his debut campaign. The 23-year-old signed for Real from AS Monaco last summer for around £70M, but has flourished in the midfield, and could well become a key player for the side next season.
He broke his foot during the middle of the season, which kept him out of action for all of February and March, but was outstanding upon his return for the remainder of the campaign. Scoring five goals, and making seven assists in nine games showed manager Carlo Ancelotti exactly what the side had been missing in his absence, and also caped a brilliant debut term at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rodriguez, a Colombian international, scored 13 goals and made 13 assists in the Spanish La Liga. He created 77 chances, made 30 successful dribbles, and whipped in 176 crosses. Playing central role, he’s had to protect his backline in the middle of the park, and has made 40 tackles and 22 interceptions. He’s shown himself to be more of a creative player than an industrious one who will look to take on his opposite number, but has a brilliant eye for goal and is growing in confidence.
The young midfielder was outstanding for his country in last summer’s World Cup, winning the Golden Boot award for his six goals scored in the tournament, while being named in the team of the World Cup too. Real Madrid signed the coveted forward, and he’s continued to excel. The pressures of playing for the Spanish giants doesn’t appear to have effected, and given he’s already won league titles and European honours with former clubs, it’s not hard to see why.
Rodriguez is a winner, and has turned in a lot if good performances in his debut season that can serve as a platform for greatness to come at Real Madrid. He’s a key component in the midfield, is will now be operating under new manager Rafael Benitez, who will be desperate to get the best form from him. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema are certainly vital for any success Real have, but Rodriguez has shown that he can hit the same heights as the attacking trio in the future, so he could be one to watch in 2015/16.
