Manchester City midfielder and Spain international Rodri is regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time. Combining pinpoint passing and defensive prowess, the former Atletico Madrid player has proved an invaluable asset for club and country with his playmaking and defensive roles.
Away from his heroics on the field, Rodri has provided some nuggets into the origins of the prolific footballer he has become. While it was thought it all started in his hometown in Madrid, the defensive midfield star has revealed that he borrowed a great deal from the tough life he led in America at the age of 14.
In a column in the Players Tribune titled, ‘Thank God For Football,’ the footballer x-rayed the defining moments of his career from the roots of his early rise to his spell with Manchester City and Spain national team.
“My football dreams made my family’s academic dream for me impossible,” – Rodri
One of Rodri’s most intriguing excerpts from the column is how his defiance made his football dream possible. According to him, his father had always wanted him to pursue a career in academia.
He was sent to America for his high school but he ended up joining other teenagers in Connecticut at the age of 14. According to him, when he arrived in Connecticut, he joined a summer camp in the forest. Everything unfolded like a movie. He learnt the art of living in the woods and surviving in harsh conditions.
“…when I arrived, it was like I was stepping into a Hollywood movie. You know the movies where the kids go to the camp on a big lake and there’s wooden canoes and you’re climbing trees and sleeping in tents and starting fires with sticks? It was really like that,” he said.
“I didn’t want to be a footballer to have a Ferrari”
For some footballers, money is an integral part of the game. It rewards their passion and cover for material needs. To Rodri, while money is important, it wasn’t his original motive for which he opted for football. According to him, he has been following his passion right from when he was a child.
The 28-year-old mentioned the 2010 World Cup as an example. He revealed that while on camp in Connecticut, he followed all Spain matches in the tournament and was screaming at the top of his voice when he confirmed they had reached the final.
”I don’t know how we did it, because we were in the middle of the woods, but I must have found a stream that was not exactly legal, and I watched the final, surrounded by Americans who didn’t care about what was happening.
“When Iniesta scored, I literally started screaming and I ran outside and sprinted around the lake. I didn’t want to be a footballer so I can have a Ferrari. It was because what my heroes did on the pitch made me feel alive,” he said.
On the role of Diego Simeone in his style of football
Another most notable excerpt from Rodri’s statements is the role Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone played in molding his football personality.
Recall Rodri honed his football career playing for Atletico Madrid Academy from 2007 to 2013 before he joined Villarreal Youth. He made his first senior club career appearance for Villarreal but returned to Atletico Madrid in 2018.
According to him, Diego Simeone taught him how to go hard on the opponents and make the 90 minutes of the game unbearable.
“Under Diego Simeone, I learnt what it means to be the bad guy. To be a bit of a bastard on the pitch. To really tackle. To make the other team miserable for 90 minutes. That was another important piece,” he said.
Rodri is now one of the most decorated Spanish footballers. The 28-year-old has established himself as the best defensive midfielder of his generation. He won his first trophy in 2018 with Atletico Madrid, helping the team to UEFA Super win. He has won four Premier League titles with Manchester City, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups, a Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He has made 257 appearances for Man City in all competitions, scoring 26 goals with 30 assists.
Rodri Manchester City contract and wage
Rodri signed a new contract extension with Manchester City in 2022 to continue with the club till 2027. His initial £180,000 weekly wage was upgraded to £300,000 following the new offer. The Spaniard is among the highest-paid Manchester City players.
