James Rodriguez : Three years of highs and lows

"I will never forget this day. I hope to work hard, to train well, and to experience a lot of joy here", said the Colombian sensation who had recently taken his country to the quarter finals of the World Cup as he completed a spectacular €80 million transfer to Real Madrid.
David Luiz's free kick might have broken Colombian hearts but James saw his move to Madrid as an opportunity to gain quality experience and lead his country to a title in the future.
It started off well. He won the UEFA Super Cup with Madrid on his official debut and scored a goal in the Spanish super cup as his team succumbed to defeat against city rivals Atletico.
He soon became a prominent figure in the Real Madrid line-up and earned his fair share of playing time.
When he went out of form, he was still believed in by the Bernabéu faithful.
Real Madrid changed managers between seasons and mid-season.
Enter Zidane, the architect​ of a team that would rule Europe in a few months.
Opportunities now came scarcely as the then 24-year-old decided to step up his game and show the boss that he had it in him.
But Zizou had his own ways of managing a team full of superstars and theirs egos - treat them as equals and bring them back to ground. Squad rotation is what they call it.
Fast forward a year and playing time became an unusual gift for a player that once looked promising.
He performed every time he entered the pitch but grew frustrated of his limited time on the turf.
James Rodriguez seems to be on the verge of leaving Real Madrid as he applauded the Bernabéu on Sunday. Having won two club world cups, two UEFA super cups and a Champions League (in another final this year) not many will say he has had a bad tenure with Los blancos.
He may not have got many chances at the latter end of his Madrid days but surely he is a player who can prove himself again once he gets back on the field.
Like Pep Guardiola said, "James's quality is undoubted."

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