James Rodriguez has had the most perplexing summer of his career this time around, and it all seems to be falling in place for the Colombian midfielder slowly, but steadily. There were serious doubts over his Real Madrid future right across the summer with Zinedine Zidane publicly stating that he was not a part of his plans.
The Colombian has stayed put at Real Madrid, and it seems to be paying off for him. The Colombian star made a return to the Santiago Bernabeu pitch after 825 days when he started in Real Madrid’s sloppy draw against Real Valladolid.
James played 55 minutes of the game before picking up an injury and was substituted to a round of applause from the demanding Bernabeu audience. The midfielder has always been a fan-favourite at the club. However, last time around, James had a fallout with Zidane who is coincidentally the Real Madrid manager now as well.
After a nervy summer window, James is sorting things out for himself at the club with where he won two Champions League medals before departing for Bayern Munich on a two-year loan. The injury to Marco Asensio in pre-season ruled out the young Spaniard until the turn of the year and Zidane had to resort to keeping James.
Spanish outlet, AS understands that the ‘Golden Boy’ is focussed on staying put at Real Madrid despite his earlier aspirations of reuniting with former boss, Carlo Ancelloti at Napoli. The player is reportedly focussing on showcasing the best he has to offer to the club despite the drama off the field.
James took to Twitter to show his appreciation and motivation following his maiden La Liga start of the season. He tweeted:
Después de un largo tiempo he vuelto al Bernabéu ❤. Ha sido una una sensación única. Gracias a la afición por el cariño. Seguiremos trabajando para mejorar. pic.twitter.com/xaf0WMOeHI
— James Rodríguez (@jamesdrodriguez) August 24, 2019
The translation for his tweet is as follows.
“After a long time, I have returned to the Bernabéu. It has been a unique sensation. Thanks to the fans for the love. We will continue working to improve.”
The 28-year-old will have to fight for his place in the starting eleven post his return from injury. Real Madrid possesses a deep squad, and it will not be an easy task for James. However, with the amount of confidence, talent, and determination the Colombian has, it will not be the biggest challenge of his career.
The report further states that Real Madrid’s boss, Zidane, is happy and content with the attitude James has displayed in training despite the drama during the pre-season regarding his future. The ex-Monaco star was rewarded with a start against Real Valladolid on Match Day 2. We believe that James Rodriguez staying at Real Madrid could very well be a gamechanger given the amount of talent he has at his disposal.
