Rodri had heavy boots to fill when he joined Town, and Fernandinho was thought to be the most productive defensive midfielder to ever play in Premier League games.
On the other hand, Rodri has made the placement his own and now wants to place himself alongside greats like Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele, but with more passes in the opposing half and not more tackles and more Champions Leagues. Profitable final league goals.
But it surely didn’t start so easily, at least at the same pace as the Spanish. He said his first season at the club was a “disaster”.
“The holding midfielder is the man on the pitch with the most responsibilities,” he told BBC Game in a recent interview, which you can watch on BBC iPlayer.
“You have to make sure the equipment works and that no one is lazy or distracted. When the equipment doesn’t work, it’s kind of your fault.”
“You are like a mentor in tone. Now I am not Pep [Guardiola] in tone in that sense because he thinks too much about the situation. “I’m very easy.”
But Rodri admits it didn’t necessarily come naturally to him in 2019, when City signed him for a then-club record £62.8m from Atletico Madrid.
“Maybe if teams change and go from five to four, I should say ‘instead of three at the back, we want to do two and one here’. That’s something I’ve learned.”
“My first year I was a disaster. I was like, ‘I don’t even know what you’re talking about, let me play football.'”
Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester’s Town commentator, said: “When Rodri took over on his own in that first season, it was difficult to see how he was going to emerge from Fernandinho’s shadow and emerge as the towering figure he is now.
“But later in his second season, a classic sign of a Pep Guardiola player, he became essential. He made the position his own.
“He was able to break up attacks, use Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne in more advanced positions and be the metronome in midfield, never just passing, but helping to open up space and being available to support others.”
In all five European leagues since the start of the 2019-20 season, Rodri leads the way in passes, successful passes in the opposite half, successful passes that end in the final third place and ownership won. Now it’s not a sin for a defensive midfielder.
Thanks to that, Rodri scored one of the most important goals in Town’s history: the only one in the Champions League final victory over Inter Milan to seal the 2022-23 treble.
He scored a career-best in an extreme season with nine goals, including two very important late moves in Premier League matches and a role in the 3–1 victory over West Ham that clinched the title.
“I think in his position he is on par with one of the best City has ever had, if not the best,” Minay added.
“He replaced Fernandinho and then some. Yaya Touré is another crucial figure in City’s modern history, but I think Rodri surpasses him too. He is a real pleasure to watch, a passionate player and ultimately City’s best.”
Rodri is a celebrity for his country and was named the best player at Euro 2024 when he helped Spain lift the trophy, beating England in the final, although he was replaced at half-time in that surprise match.
