Former Struggling Real Madrid Star Shines In Everton Debut Against Tottehnham

KEY POINTS

James Rodriguez was a former World Cup Top Scorer in 2014
The 29-year-old struggled to gain minutes under Zinedine Zidane in Real Madrid
Rodriguez led Everton to a 1-0 victory against Tottenham

A fresh start has been set for former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez as he had a strong debut with Everton in their Premier League match against Tottenham. After months of being sidelined by Zinedine Zidane in Los Blancos, Rodriguez is ready to bounce back with The Black Watch.

The 1-0 victory highlighted Rodriguez’s immense talent, as he was composed throughout the match. This was evident in how he had several crucial passes throughout the night and even stepped up defensively on the pitch, as pointed out by Fansided’s The Real Champs.

The 29-year-old is one of the more exciting attacking midfielders in the game with the way he moves on the field coupled with his elite scoring skills. One of his major individual achievements includes becoming the top scorer for in the 2014 World Cup. There’s no question that he’s a remarkable asset to have in any club and he’s ready to bounce back after a rough ending with Real Madrid. Despite being one of the more promising talents in the sport, playing time under Zidane was scarce and he was unable to dominate as he would normally do.

Despite the tough stretch in Rodriguez’s career, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti appreciates the value of the veteran.

"James is not the fastest player in the world but he has a lot of quality. We have to use him to show his quality,” Ancelotti shared by way of BBC.

The latest match saw Rodriguez complete five key passes, coupled with 11 long balls with a success percentage of 83.9%.

"He is not a winger, but he can come inside and receive the ball, he is very dangerous. I am not worried about the physicality. If I was worried about that I would sign Usain Bolt, not James," Ancelotti continued.

In 125 appearances with Real Madrid, Rodriguez netted 37 goals and tallied 42 assists. The first match he played with Everton saw a positive start and he’s looking to keep up the strong performance he had. It will be interesting to see how Rodriguez can revitalize his status as a star on the field.