JAMES RODRIGUEZ

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

James David Rodríguez Rubio; born 12 July 1991), usually known as James Rodríguez  or simply James is a Colombian footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Colombian national team, as an attacking midfielder or winger.

Rodríguez is commonly ranked as one of the best young players in the world. He has received praise for his technique, vision and playmaking skills, and has been referred to as the successor to his compatriot Carlos Valderrama.

REAL MADRID

in a post-match interview during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, James stated his 'love', 'admiration', and 'passion' for Real Madrid, and that it would be a 'life's dream' to play for them in response with his performances arousing rumors linking him to the Spanish giants.

On 22 July 2014, Rodríguez confirmed the rumors by signing a 6-year contract with the Spanish giants for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be around €80 million. This move would make him the 4th most expensive player in history, the 3rd most expensive in Real Madrid's history, and the most expensive Colombian to date surpassing Radamel Falcao's €60 million in 2013 The amount spent on his transfer fee led many to refer James as a Galáctico, also credited by the fact that he was given the number 10 shirt, carrying the legacy of Real Madrid legends such as Luís Figo, Ferenc Puskás, and the player he admired the most while growing up and supporting the club, Zinedine Zidane.

James was greeted by a 45,000 attendance during his presentation. The Colombian Ambassador in Madrid made a speech, carrying a message from the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, stating that James was changing the history of Colombian football and that the entire nation is behind him. Florentino Pérez would follow with a speech of his own, stating that he welcomed James, a 'lover' and 'long supporter' of the club who will never forget the day he made his dream a reality.48 hours following his unveiling, it was reported that 345,000 of his shirt replicas were sold, breaking a record following the signing of any other player who joined the club in their respective time.