Rodri (footballer, born 1996)

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (born 22 June 1996), known as Rodri or Rodrigo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Spain national team. Regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world,[3][4][5] he is known for his defensive and offensive positioning, tackling, passing, and ball control.

For more people with the same nickname, see Rodri (disambiguation) and Rodrigo (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Hernández and the second or maternal family name is Cascante.
Rodri
Rodri playing for Spain in 2019
Personal information
Full name Rodrigo Hernández Cascante
Date of birth (1996-06-22) 22 June 1996
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder[2]
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 16
Youth career
2006–2007 Rayo Majadahonda
2007–2013 Atlético Madrid
2013–2015 Villarreal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Villarreal B 39 (1)
2015–2018 Villarreal 63 (1)
2018–2019 Atlético Madrid 34 (3)
2019– Manchester City 144 (16)
International career‡
2012 Spain U16 2 (0)
2015 Spain U19 8 (0)
2017 Spain U21 6 (1)
2018– Spain 47 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA Nations League
Winner2023 Netherlands
Runner-up2021 Italy
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner2015 Greece
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:17, 23 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:19, 15 October 2023 (UTC)

After stints with Villarreal and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, Rodri joined Premier League club Manchester City in 2019. He helped the team win three consecutive league titles in the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, the latter of these part of a campaign that saw the club claim a historic continental treble. This treble included a first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph, with Rodri scoring the only goal in the final and being named the tournament's Player of the Season.

Rodri is a Spain international and former youth international. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2018 and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2023, he won the UEFA Nations League, being named the best player of the finals tournament.

Club career

Early life and career

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante[6] was born on 22 June 1996[7] in Madrid.[8] He joined Atlético Madrid's youth setup in 2007 aged 11, from CF Rayo Majadahonda.[9] Released in 2013 due to a "lack of physical strength", he subsequently signed with Villarreal CF.[10][11]

On 7 February 2015, while still a junior, Rodri made his senior debut for the reserves, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–1 away win against RCD Espanyol B in the Segunda División B.[12] He was handed his first start 15 days later, in a 2–0 victory at Real Zaragoza B.[13]

Rodri made his first-team debut on 17 December 2015, starting in a 2–0 home win against SD Huesca for that season's Copa del Rey.[14] His first La Liga appearance was on 17 April 2016, when he came on as a second-half substitute for Denis Suárez in a 2–1 away loss to Rayo Vallecano.[15]

On 4 December 2017, having already established himself as a regular, Rodri renewed his contract until 2022.[16] He scored his first goal in the Spanish top level on 18 February 2018, the opener in a 1–1 away draw against RCD Espanyol.[17]

Atlético Madrid

On 24 May 2018, Rodri returned to Atlético after the club reached an agreement with Villarreal for his transfer. He signed a five-year contract with the Madrid side,[18] for a fee in the region of €20 million plus 5 million in variables.[19] He made his debut on 15 August in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn, playing the first 71 minutes of a 4–2 extra-time win over city rivals Real Madrid.[20]

2019–20 season: First season in England

On 3 July 2019, Manchester City met the terms of Rodri's £62.6 million release clause, enabling him to buy out the remainder of his contract with Atlético and leave the club. The transfer was a new record fee paid by Manchester City.[21][22] He signed a five-year contract.[23]

Rodri made his debut in the 2019 FA Community Shield on 4 August at Wembley Stadium, playing the full 90 minutes as City won on penalties against Liverpool after a 1–1 draw.[24] He made his Premier League debut against West Ham United six days later in a 5–0 away win,[25] and on 14 September he scored his first goal in a 3–2 away defeat against Norwich City.[26]

It was announced in October 2019 that Rodri would be out for a month due to a hamstring injury.[27] On 1 March 2020, City won the EFL Cup at Wembley Stadium for the third consecutive time, beating Aston Villa 2–1 in the final. Rodri headed in City's second goal from a corner, which ultimately turned out to be the winner.[28]

2020–present: Further domestic success and continental treble
Rodri with Manchester City in 2021

On 13 February 2021, Rodri scored City's first goal from a penalty in a 3–0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.[29] Over the course of the 2021–22 domestic campaign, Rodri had the highest pass completion rate of any midfielder in the Premier League, with 91.8% successful passes per 90 mins, and had proved to be integral to City's title win.[30]

On 12 July 2022, Rodri agreed to extend his contract with Manchester City until 2027.[31]

On 11 April 2023, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–0 win over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals first leg at the Etihad Stadium.[32]

On 10 June, he scored the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, securing Manchester City's win for their first-ever European Cup and completing the continental treble.[33] Rodri was named man of the match.[34]

On 23 September 2023, he was sent off in a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest for lashing out at Morgan Gibbs-White following a tussle, which sparked a melee. This was Rodri's first red card in the Premier League.[35] City went on to lose each of the three subsequent games for which he was suspended.

International career
Rodri with Spain in 2023

After playing for Spain at under-16, under-19 and under-21 levels, Rodri was first selected by the full side on 16 March 2018 for two friendlies with Germany and Argentina.[36] He made his debut five days later, replacing Thiago Alcântara late in the 1–1 draw against Germany in Düsseldorf.[37]

Rodri was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020[38] and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[39]

Style of play

Rodri is a physically strong and tall player. His physique helps him to frequently win tackles, challenges on opponent players, as well as aerial duels. He has a 73% success rate at tackles on opponent players,[40] and has won 100% of his aerial duels in the 2022–23 season, according to Squawka. He averages a passing accuracy of 91–92%.[40]

In his Manchester City tenure, he is also known for his long shots leading to goals. Despite not being particularly renowned for his pace, he has been credited by pundits for his ability to catch up with much faster attackers in midfield.[41][42][43] Many pundits consider him as one of the best current defensive midfielders in world football.[44][45][46]

Besides his regular position of a holding midfielder, he has occasionally been used as a ball-playing centre back, in particular by national team manager Luis Enrique during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[47]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 4 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Villarreal B 2014–15[48] Segunda División B 70————70
2015–16[49] Segunda División B 321———2[lower-alpha 3]1342
Total 391———21412
Villarreal 2015–16[49] La Liga 3030—00—60
2016–17[50] La Liga 23040—4[lower-alpha 4]1—311
2017–18[51] La Liga 37140—6[lower-alpha 4]0—471
Total 631110—101—842
Atlético Madrid 2018–19[52] La Liga 34340—8[lower-alpha 5]01[lower-alpha 6]0473
Manchester City 2019–20[53] Premier League 35340418[lower-alpha 5]01[lower-alpha 7]0524
2020–21[54] Premier League 342405010[lower-alpha 5]0—532
2021–22[55] Premier League 337200010[lower-alpha 5]01[lower-alpha 7]0467
2022–23[56] Premier League 362403012[lower-alpha 5]21[lower-alpha 7]0564
2023–24[57] Premier League 6200002[lower-alpha 5]12[lower-alpha 8]0103
Total 144161401214235021720
Career total 280212901216048138927
  1. Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup
  2. Includes EFL Cup
  3. Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  4. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  7. Appearance in FA Community Shield
  8. One appearance in FA Community Shield, one appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International
As of match played 15 October 2023[8]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 201840
201970
202061
2021130
202290
202380
Total471
As of match played 15 October 2023
Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rodri goal.[8]
List of international goals scored by Rodri
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
117 November 2020La Cartuja, Seville, Spain17 Germany3–06–02020–21 UEFA Nations League A[58]

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Manchester City

Spain U19

Spain

Individual

References
  1. "Rodri: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  2. Wilson, Paul; Jackson, Jamie (4 July 2019). "City's new £62.8m signing Rodri says Manchester may be getting 'more blue'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  3. VBET. "Ballon d'Or 2023 Power Rankings: who will win the award". vbetnews.com. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. Nwokolo, Collins (11 September 2023). "Top 10 Best Midfielders In The World (2023)". Top Soccer Blog. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  5. SUBHAM (2 July 2023). "10 Best Midfielders In The World Right Now In 2023". 1SPORTS1. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  6. "Acta del Partido celebrado el 18 de mayo de 2019, en Valencia" [Minutes of the Match held on 18 May 2019, in Valencia] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  7. "Rodri". ESPN. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  8. "Rodri: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  9. "Fútbol: el nuevo fichaje "Rodri" (At. Madrid) y Lucas jugaron juntos en Majadahonda" [Football: the new signing "Rodri" (At. Madrid) and Lucas played together at Majadahonda] (in Spanish). Majadahonda Magazin. 22 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  10. "El Busquets que se le escapó al Atlético VS. el nuevo 'kaiser' rojiblanco" [The Busquets who slipped away from Atlético vs. the new red-and-white 'kaiser']. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 16 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  11. "Rodri, el apagafuegos del Juvenil" [Rodri, the youth firefighter] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 13 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. "1–3: Frenados" [1–3: Slowed down] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  13. "El Zaragoza B pierde con el Villarreal (0–2) y Láinez ve la roja" [Zaragoza B lose with Villarreal (0–2) and Láinez sees red]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Zaragoza. 22 February 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  14. "Trigueros remonta al Huesca y certifica el pase sin presumir" [Trigueros completes comeback over Huesca and certifies unassuming qualification]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Madrid. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  15. "Dos misiles de Guerra y Miku hunden al Submarino" [Two rockets from Guerra and Miku sink the Submarino]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Madrid. 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  16. "El Villarreal CF renueva a Barbosa y Rodrigo" [Villarreal renew Barbosa and Rodrigo] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  17. "Granero cambia la realidad" [Granero changes the reality]. Marca (in Spanish). Madrid. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  18. "Acuerdo con el Villarreal para el traspaso de Rodri" [Agreement with Villarreal for the transfer of Rodri] (in Spanish). Atlético Madrid. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  19. "Cláusula de 70 millones para Rodri" [70 million clause for Rodri]. Marca (in Spanish). Madrid. 25 May 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  20. Sanders, Emma (15 August 2018). "Real Madrid 2–4 Atlético Madrid". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  21. "Rodri: Manchester City pay £62.6m release clause for Atletico Madrid's Spain midfielder". BBC Sport. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  22. Brennan, Stuart (3 July 2019). "Man City pay Rodri transfer release clause and midfielder will join in next few days". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  23. Edwards, John. "City complete Rodri deal". Manchester City F.C. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  24. Begley, Emlyn (4 August 2019). "Liverpool 1–1 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  25. Murphy, Daniel. "Raheem Sterling gives his verdict on Rodri's Premier League debut and VAR in Man City win". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  26. "Norwich City 3–2 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 14 September 2019. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  27. "Rodri: Manchester City midfielder could be out for a month with hamstring injury". BBC Sport. 22 October 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  28. "Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester City: Sergio Aguero & Rodri goals secure third Carabao Cup in a row". BBC Sport. 1 March 2020. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  29. "Manchester City 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur:11 league wins in a row for leaders". BBC Sport. 13 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  30. Furniss, Matt (3 June 2022). "Premier League Team of the Season: OptaJoe's XI". The Analyst. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  31. "Rodrigo agrees new City contract". Manchester City F.C. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  32. "Watch Rodri Score His First Ever Champions League Goal With Stunning Strike Against Bayern Munich". si.com. 11 April 2023.
  33. "Manchester City 1–0 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. 10 June 2023.
  34. "Man City match-winner Rodri named Champions League player of the year". The Independent. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  35. "Manchester City 2–0 Nott Forest". BBC Sport. 23 September 2023.
  36. "Parejo, Marcos Alonso y Rodri, novedades en la lista de la selección española" [Parejo, Marcos Alonso and Rodri, novelties in the list of the Spanish national team]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 18 March 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  37. "Rodri, el décimo debutante con Lopetegui en la Selección" [Rodri, tenth newcomer with Lopetegui in the national team]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Madrid. 23 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  38. Braidwood, Jamie (24 May 2021). "Euro 2020 news LIVE: Sergio Ramos left out of Spain squad plus latest before England announcement". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  39. "OFICIAL | Lista de convocados para la Copa Mundial de Fútbol de la FIFA Catar 2022". sefutbol (in Spanish). 11 November 2022. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  40. "Infogol". www.infogol.net. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  41. "Rodri: 3 characteristics of the Manchester City player". mbpschool.com. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  42. Lee, Sam. "Can head, can pass … can foul: why Rodri has earned unique praise from Guardiola". The Athletic. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  43. "'He understands perfectly': Pep Guardiola sets Rodri challenge". Manchester City News. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  44. "Arsenal star Partey told he 'can't lace Rodri's boots' as pundit makes huge U-turn". Yahoo! Sports. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  45. "Pundit says Man City have a player who's even better than Man Utd's £70m star". Manchester City News. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  46. "BBC pundit in awe of Manchester City midfielder Rodri against Brighton". The Boot Room. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  47. McAleer, Ben (30 November 2022). "Spain's creative decision to play Rodri in defence is paying off at World Cup". The Guardian.
  48. "Rodri: Matches: 2014–15". BDFutbol. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  49. "Rodri: Matches: 2015–16". BDFutbol. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  50. "Rodri: Matches: 2016–17". BDFutbol. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  51. "Rodri: Matches: 2017–18". BDFutbol. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  52. "Rodri: Matches: 2018–19". BDFutbol. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  53. "Games played by Rodri in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  54. "Games played by Rodri in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  55. "Games played by Rodri in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  56. "Games played by Rodri in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  57. "Games played by Rodri in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  58. "Spain vs. Germany 6–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  59. McNulty, Phil (3 June 2023). "Manchester City 2–1 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  60. McNulty, Phil (1 March 2020). "Aston Villa 1–2 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  61. McNulty, Phil (25 April 2021). "Manchester City 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  62. McNulty, Phil (10 June 2023). "Manchester City 1–0 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  63. McNulty, Phil (29 May 2021). "Manchester City 0–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  64. McNulty, Phil (16 August 2023). "Manchester City 1–1 Sevilla". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  65. "Spain see off Russia for seventh Under-19 crown". UEFA. 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  66. Smith, Emma (18 June 2023). "Spain win Nations League final on penalties". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  67. "Rodri named 2022/23 UEFA Champions League Player of the Season". UEFA. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  68. "2022/23 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  69. "Stunning Rodri strike wins Budweiser Goal of the Month". Premier League. 10 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  70. "Rodri named 2023 UEFA Nations League Player of the Finals". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  71. "Erling Haaland: Manchester City forward wins PFA men's Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodrigo Hernández Cascante.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.