For a lot of Everton fans, it is still hard to believe that James Rodriguez was once a Toffees player.
The ace had one season with the club in 2020/21, reuniting with his old manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was another surprise arrival at Goodison Park.
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He joined on a two-year deal, but only did half of that contract before moving on to sign for Qatari club Al-Rayyan.
James Rodriguez has had six clubs since leaving Everton, his latest being Minnesota United. But despite fading into relative obscurity, he remains an important player for his national team.
Last night, Rodriguez played in the 0-0 draw with Colombia, and he went off to a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second-half.
He has now created 10 chances at the tournament – that is more than Portugal’s midfield trio of Bruno, Vitinha and João Neves combined (via CBS).
Amid talk that Rodriguez could retire after the tournament, he has rolled back the years and amid his great form, it feels as good a time as any to look back on his one season with Everton.
James Rodriguez’s time at Everton
After signing for Everton, Rodriguez quickly set about showing that fans were right to be so excited about him.
The South American had a bit of a point to prove after leaving Real Madrid, and in just a few weeks, he had Evertonians purring.
In his first five Premier League games, Rodriguez scored three and assisted three, with Everton taking 13 points from a possible 15.
The Ancelotti-Rodriguez double act had fans salivating, and some thought something special could be on the horizon.
In truth, though, those opening weeks were probably where Rodriguez peaked.
He went on to score a few more goals and made a handful more assists, but injuries affected his momentum for Everton.
His calf was the big issue throughout, and he was actually limited to just 23 matches in the Premier League in total.
But he was still able to provide 15 goal contributions overall, making him one of the most efficient players in the league in terms of output. Had he not struggled so much with injury, he would easily have surpassed 20 involvements.
What was notable about Rodriguez was his vision, and his ability to play line-breaking passes, mainly from the right side. He would also come inside to do damage from central positions.
The biggest travesty was that Rodriguez’s performances came in front of a reduced crowd, as this was the season after Covid had hit. So he never got to play in front of a full Goodison Park.
In the end, Rodriguez decided that he was ready to leave Everton. Ancelotti had announced he was leaving, but Rodriguez had made up his mind about his future before this, and it was Rafa Benitez who then allowed his departure.
Everton were also keen to offload Rodriguez, given his substantial wages, which were the highest in the history of the club (as per Sky Sports).
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