James Rodriguez has lit up the World Cup. But he could have been starring for Celtic after we looked into signing him three years ago while I was manager.
The Colombian playmaker has become a household name on the back of his exploits in Brazil. He has scored some outstanding goals and his all-round play has been fantastic.
So his country’s elimination against Brazil in Friday night’s quarter-final was as big a blow for the tournament as a whole as the loss of Neymar due to injury.
But I first came across Rodriguez during the 2011 Toulon tournament in France when I was over there looking at possible signing targets for Celtic.
I attended a couple of tournaments to see if there were any youngsters from abroad we could look to sign, and allow them to develop, before selling them on at a healthy profit.
There were a number of talented kids on show but Rodriguez was without doubt the pick of the bunch. He was voted the Player of the Tournament an accolade he may yet get for the World Cup and inspired Colombia to lift the trophy.
I obviously liked what I saw in him, so we enquired about him. He was just 19 at the time. So, when we were quoted £15 MILLION to sign him from Porto, you will understand why it didn’t get past first base.
It has been interesting watching him three years down the line become the latest player to become a household name by taking the World Cup by storm.
One of the most fantastic aspects of the tournament is that it offers an opportunity for the players taking part to make the competition their own.
Most of us expected Neymar to shine for Brazil, and Lionel Messi to be the key man for Argentina. Despite some impressive performances from the two star attractions, they have had to take a back seat to the man known in his homeland as James.
I don’t think you can refer to him as a complete unknown because Monaco paid £40m to recruit him last summer, and he was outstanding for them this season. But he leaves Brazil even more famous than when he arrived.
There would have been a number of leading clubs including the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid and no doubt a number of top clubs in England who were all looking very closely at him before his move to France. But he most certainly wasn’t one of the most famous footballers in the world although he is now!
His displays for Colombia have been incredible. He scored six goals to take him to the top of the scoring charts, and his stunning volley against Uruguay is easily the goal of the tournament.
And, at 22, he really does have the world at his feet. It doesn’t surprise me that the Colombia coach Jose Pekerman also feels Rodriguez can go on to rule the world, saying he has “every attribute of a top-notch player at a world level” and that he “never had any doubts that this was going to be his World Cup”.
And the Uruguay coach, Oscar Tabarez, said he believed Rodriguez had been the best player in Brazil and put him in the same bracket as Diego Maradona, Messi and Luis Suarez.
I honestly believe he has everything required to become one of the best, if not THE best, player in world football in the coming years.
It’s just a pity I couldn’t get him to Celtic!
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