Former Everton staff member slams 'absolute nonsense'…

Former Everton staff member slams 'absolute nonsense' rumours about James Rodriguez

Former Everton director of medical services Danny Donachie has rubbished talk of James Rodriguez's poor attitude during his time at Everton.

Rodriguez arrived at Goodison Park in a shock move back in 2020, leaving Real Madrid to reunite with former manager Carlo Ancelotti. The two-time Champions League winner blessed Merseyside with some incredible performances during the 2020/2021 campaign, racking up six goals and nine assists in 26 appearances and often looking like the young midfielder who took the 2014 World Cup by storm.

But the former Madrid and Bayern Munich man suffered with a number of injuries during his short spell with the Toffees, most notably a recurring calf problem that sidelined him several times throughout the season. Rodriguez remained a much-loved figure among the Everton faithful, but the arrival of Rafa Benitez in June 2021 saw the creative midfielder ostracised amid criticism over his supposed poor attitude in training and matches.

But former club medical staff member Donachie detailed how those claims could not be further from the truth, adding that the only problem Rodriguez had at Everton was managing injuries.

“James is an unbelievable talent and probably one of the most talented players I've ever seen - if not the most talented," Donachie told the Unholy Trinity podcast. "But his injury history was pretty bad when he came in so I had my concerns about that. We had a lot of dialogue about that with Marcel [Brands] and Carlo about whether he'd be able to sustain playing in the Premier League.

“In that respect, it wasn't plain sailing. When he came in and you see him training and playing, he was exceptional. It did get you excited when he was able to play. It's a shame for players like James who can't use their talent and play every week because if he'd have played every week at a full Goodison, it would have been electric. His talent is out of this world, he's incredible.

“There are some ideas about his attitude as well and I think it's absolute nonsense. His attitude is top-class. The thing that stopped him from performing is injuries and it's so often the case. It's really difficult when you've got a talent like that and you can't play and it's really hard for James. There was a lot of excitement in the training ground because he's just brilliant.”

Rodriguez was pushed to the fringes in the early months of Benitez's short and dismal tenure, leaving for Qatari side Al-Rayyan in September 2021 without playing a single minute of the seven games before his departure. The Colombian admitted back in February that he wanted to stay at the 'spectacular' Everton for much longer, adding that Benitez wanted him gone.

"I would have liked to have been at Everton for much longer," Rodriguez said on streaming service Twitch. "It's a spectacular club, the fans are incredible, but I ran into a coach who didn't want to count on me. I wanted to be there. Unfortunately, the coach didn't want to count on me."

READ NEXT

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here