Rodri on his degree, life after football and being a Premier League giant
When Rodri walks through the door, his presence fills the room.
Great players have an aura. The Manchester City midfielder once rejected as a teenager for not being big enough is now a Premier League giant in every sense.
Rodri is a commanding, dominant figure on the pitch which has seen him become one of the best players in the world. Incredibly, Rodri put on 10 kilos to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League and has never looked back as he explained his passion not just for English football but also Manchester and the fans.
Rodri, 27, has embraced city life, enjoys sushi and sees his future more as a sporting director than manager. He is thoughtful and eloquent when he speaks. He has a degree in Management and Business Administration to sit alongside all of the trophies he has won in five years at the Etihad.
“It’s not just about the future and what I’m going to do after football, it’s also about having knowledge and being different from the typical footballer,” said Rodri. "Football sometimes is so demanding, so stressful and if you are 24 hours thinking football then I don’t think it’s healthy and it helped me a lot.”
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He is also a deep thinker about the game. He idolised Zinedine Zidane growing up but also watched and learned from the likes of Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso.
Rodri is already planning for life after football (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)Visit the Mirror Football YouTube channel to see Rodri's in-depth discussion with our Chief Football Writer John Cross.
Rodri said: “I’m a player who tries to understand football. It’s one of the best things I have is the way I understand football and when I watch a game, I don’t really pay attention on the ball, I pay attention on what’s going on around the pitch. For a midfielder, I think that’s key.
“I loved to score goals but then I realised how beautiful it was to move the team, be the leader of the team and try to organise the team. In midfield, you are everywhere, you are part of everything. For me, it was beautiful and I wanted to play there.”
It is hard to believe that, as a kid, he was released by Rayo Majadahonda due to a “lack of physical strength.” Now, Rodri stands tall on any pitch, a giant as opponents bounce off him. Just like all the great players, he runs games at his own speed. His lack of height and strength is now a distant memory. “It is true,” he laughs. “My DNA was late growth but you just have to see my parents how big I was going to become because my father is 190cms and my mum is also very, very tall.
“They just needed to have a bit more patience. When I was 18, I started growing. I think if I asked all footballers, they would say that bad moments, the moments you feel low, are the most important of your career. In my individual experience, my mentality grew in this situation.
Rodri spoke to Daily Mirror chief football writer John Cross (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
Rodri has become one of the most physically dominant players in the Premier League (Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)“Then they asked me: ‘Are you sure about moving to England? You’re going to be alone…’ I was like I am definitely going because this is what I want and I’m ready for that. This kind of situation made me the player that I am. I remember I was in 80kgs when I was at Villarreal and now I am in the 90s. I think it’s the stuff they give me here… the shakes and all these things because I’m not a big fan of the gym and so I think it’s a bit of everything.
“It’s a consequence of the Premier League because just competing here makes your body stronger, your mentality and the body. I think England is more intense. Always England has been more physical than other leagues.”
It is that desire to improve, adapt and push himself which is what has made Rodri a special talent. He is a vital cog in City’s winning machine which has brought a remarkable haul of five trophies in the past 12 months and now they are chasing a record fourth consecutive title. But personal accolades pale into insignificance compared to the team. It is around now that City kick into gear, go on their winning run and sweep all before them. So how do they time that run-in?
“Of course we know that if you don’t do the previous six months good then you won’t arrive here with the chance to fight,” he said. “But the key part is the one which is coming now. You see the upgrade of the players, the improvement of the players and you will see the best version of the players from now until the end of the season.
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“It’s something you experience from the past, something you know and it’s like January, February, we just go. We just do it. It’s like we say: ‘Come on, guys.’ We don’t need to talk or have meetings. We all know. It’s part of what we learn in our years here.”
Rodri has his eye on winning another Premier League title (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)His admiration and respect for his manager Pep Guardiola is also only matched by his love of England and Manchester City. “People like Pep are special because of their hunger,” said Rodri. “It’s the way he wants to do it again, wants to win, wants to find a way and I think that’s the key. Not only for Pep but for all the big names that have won for all the years.
“Honestly, you don’t know how it will be until you come here. But the Premier League, Manchester, I think it’s something special. The way you guys understand football.
“Here in England it’s so demanding. It’s so competitive, they always demand the best of you, the crowds are always full, they love their teams, they want them to win and this is something special.”
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