Spanish midfielder Rodrigo has found plenty of reasons to love life at Manchester City.
Rodri is in his 3rd season at the Etihad and is enjoying some of his best form since moving to England for £62.6 million.
He had big shoes to fill in the form of Manchester City icon Fernandinho, who has now largely stepped aside for Rodri to take his place in the starting XI despite remaining the club’s captain.
Now Rodri has become an integral part of Guardiola’s team, putting in Rolls-Royce performances against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool among others.
“I’ve found a place where I’m very happy,” the 25-year-old said in an interview with Radio Marca.
“I can develop my football and improve with one of the best coaches in a spectacular team.
“I’m in a place where they believe in continuous improvement. Every year there is a desire to improve, that is key for me.”
Rodri has settled into life in Manchester both on and off the pitch; he recently completed a degree in Business Administration and Management at a local university.
The defensive midfielder was famously omitted from the starting XI in last season’s Champions League final- a move that many City fans saw both then and now as a mistake.
His absence was certainly felt when Chelsea passed straight through the middle of the park to score the only goal of the game.
Now, going into a big match without Rodri feels almost unthinkable just a few months later.
His displays in the middle of the park have calmed any remaining fears from City fans over who might be able to replace the long-serving Fernandinho.
Rodri played over 50 games in both of his first two seasons for the club, and looks well on track to repeat the feat in the current campaign.
He’s scored seven times in sky blue, with the highlight arguably being the winning goal in the Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa.
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