James Rodriguez has described Cristiano Ronaldo is excellent both on and off the pitch – and says he rates him 10 out of 10 as a person.
The Real Madrid midfielder told FIFA.com of his relationship with the Portuguese star and also about how he is enjoying life in the Spanish capital.
“Cristiano is excellent both on and off the pitch. For me, he is 10 out of 10 and fully deserved his Ballon d’Or award for what he achieved in 2014, yet he is completely modest,” said the Colombian.
“We have a very good relationship. Out on the pitch everyone knows how valuable he is, but it’s impressive to watch how he trains and works off the pitch. That’s where you see the real Cristiano and you understand why he is where he is.
“Madrid is a delightful city with things to do all day every day. Everything is open! It offers everything you could possibly want. Both my family and I are very happy here. Things couldn’t be better.”
Rodriguez revealed he has been surprised at just how big a club Real Madrid is since his move from Monaco in July last year for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be around €80m.
“It’s one thing to look from the outside but when you come here you understand the real scale of things. It’s something else entirely. I always considered it a big club but now I’m on the inside I can tell you it’s the biggest club in the world, no question.
“You always think of making strides and I dreamed I’d get where I am today. However, now I’ve achieved this and got to play for a club as big as Madrid, all I can think about is staying there for many more years.”
