- Planet Sport writer
- 27 August 2024
Rayo Vallecano sign Colombian star James Rodriguez
Rayo Vallecano have announced a sensational signing for their centenary season: Colombian star James Rodriguez has joined the Madrid-based club.
Rodriguez has won the Champions League twice, the Europa League, nine league titles and four domestic cup trophies.
Rodriguez is a versatile player who can play anywhere behind the front line. He is regarded as one of the most creative players in world football and also has the ability to score goals both inside and outside the box.
His performance for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he claimed the Golden Boot award with six goals, earned him a reported €63million move to Real Madrid.
Rodriguez early career
Rodriguez played his first professional match at the age of 14 for Colombian second division club Envigado, where he won promotion in 2007.
He joined Argentine team Banfield in 2008 and spend two seasons there scoring ten goals in 49 games and was part of the squad that won the Primera Division Argentina in 2009.
Rodriguez's talent alert several European clubs and Porto signed him for €5.1 million in July 2010. He collected a haul of trophies with the Portuguese giants in his three seasons at the club including three Primeira Liga title, a Taca de Portugal and UEFA Europa League.
He scored 32 goals in 107 appearances for Porto before being bought by French side Monaco in May 2013 for €45 million.
It was the second most expensive transfers in Portuguese history and the biggest in Ligue 1 history.
Career at Real Madrid
After leading the assist charts in Ligue 1 with Monaco and his performances at the Brazil World Cup, Rodriguez sealed a big money move to the Spanish capital.
He was given the iconic number 10 shirt which had previously been worn by the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo.
Despite missing two months of the 2014/15 season through injury, Rodriguez still managed to score 17 in all competitions and assist another 18.
James Rodriguez, Real Madrid, October, 2019
Los Blancos won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup in Rodriguez's first season campaign, however, they finished second in the league and were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals.
Rodriguez didn't have to wait long for his first Champions League winner's medal, as Madrid won the tournament in 2015/16. However, Rodriguez was an unused substitute in the final.
More success was to follow in the 2016/17 campaign as Real Madrid successfully defended their Champions League title and pipped Barcelona to the top of La Liga.
Rodriguez wasn't happy with the amount of playing time he was getting under Real manager Zidane so handed in a loan transfer request.
Loan move to Bayern Munich
At the start of the 2017/18 season Rodriguez joined up with former boss Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich on a two-year loan deal.
Ancelotti was sacked in October, however, Rodriguez became a regular starter and helped Bayern win two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal.
James Rodriguez, Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern Munich, 2017
Bayern decided against taking the option of signing Rodriguez permanently for €41million at the end of the loan deal.
He returned to Madrid for the 2019/20 season, but played just eight times in the league as Real took the title.
Rodriguez was again frustrated with his lack of playing time and he left the club in September 2020 to join Everton, reuniting with manager Ancelotti again. There was some initial confusion around the transfer fee, with many believing it to be between £12million and £22million. However, Everton's director of football Marcel Brands later confirmed it was a free transfer.
Ancelotti partnership
Rodriguez has been managed by Ancelotti at three separate clubs, including his current employers Everton.
The pair first worked together at Real Madrid, with Ancelotti the man responsible for bringing Rodriguez to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rodriguez's best year at Madrid came during his first season under Ancelotti, before his form began to drop under future managers.
James Rodriguez Everton Sep20
Ancelotti then gave the playmaker a chance to play regular football again at Bayern, although that spell together didn't last too long due to the Italian's dismissal.
At the start of the 2020/21 season, Ancelotti was able to reunite with Rodriguez at Everton and has made him a regular member of the first team.
However, he played on season at Everton scoring six in 23 appearances and once Ancelotti left the club Rodriguez was moved on.
Club hopping
Rodriguez joined Qatar Stars League side Al-Rayyan in September 2021 and scored five goals in 15 appearances, but the move didn't work out and after just one appearance in the 22/23 season his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Greek giants Olympiacos signed Rodriguez on a free transfer on the same day, but after five goals in 23 appearances his contract was again terminated by mutual consent in April 2023.
He returned to South America and joined Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A outfit Sao Paulo on a two-year deal. He only scored one goal in 14 matches in his first season but helped the club win the 2023 Copa do Brasil.
After two matches for Sao Paulo in the 2024 season, he returned to La Liga with Rayo Vallecano in August.
A star for Colombia
Rodriguez gained attention from an early age while representing Colombia's youth sides.
He was named Player of the Tournament at the 2011 Toulon Tournament, and captained his nation in the U-20 World Cup held in Colombia in the same year.
For the senior side, his over 100 appearances places him amongst the top 10 most capped players for Colombia.
His standout performances for his nation came in the 2014 Brazil World Cup as he finished as the tournament's top goalscorer, with six goals.
James Rodriguez, Colombia, 2014
After scoring three and assisting two in the group stages, James scored twice in the Round of 16 to help Colombia reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
One of those goals, a stunning chest and volley, won the FIFA Puskas award for goal of the year. He was again on the scoresheet in the quarters against Brazil, but Colombia were beaten 2-1. Rodriguez was named in the World Cup All-Star XI.
The following year, Rodriguez captained Colombia to their highest finish in the Copa America since 2001, as they finished third.
He scored a crucial goal in a qualifier to earn his nation a place at the 2018 World Cup, but he didn't play beyond the group stages due to injury.
At the 2024 Copa America, Rodriguez was selected as best player of the tournament after Colombia lost 1-0m in the final to Argentina.
Personal life
Rodriguez was married to Colombian volleyball player Daniela Ospina for six years. She is the sister of soccer player David Ospina, formerly of Arsenal.
James and Daniela became parents in 2013 when their daughter Salome was born, but the pair announced their break-up in 2017.
Since 2018, Rodriguez has been in a relationship with Shannon de Lima and they have a son called Samuel, who was born via a surrogate mother. De Lima is a model and also the ex-wife of two-time Grammy award winner Marc Anthony.
Rodriguez's father, Wilson James Rodriguez, was also a footballer. His mother, Maria Del Pilar Rubio, turned down bigger moves for her son and instead urged him to join Envigado, where he made his first appearance at the age of just 14.
Net worth
In June 2019, Rodriguez was placed 17th on Forbes' Highest Paid Soccer Players list. James was earning $22.1 million per year, including $4.5 million in endorsements. His sponsors include Adidas, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein.
After his performance in the 2014 World Cup, Adidas released a special pair of golden F50 Adizero boots dedicated to Rodriguez.
It is reported that Rodriguez took a pay cut to join Everton and is on a contract worth $122,000 a week.
