Ancelotti compares James Rodriguez to Ronaldo

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has made an interesting comparison between James Rodriguez and Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario.

James reunited with his old Real Madrid and Bayern Munich coach Ancelotti in the summer after spending the bulk of last season on the sidelines.

The Colombian superstar struggled to win over Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, making just eight appearances in LaLiga. An exit was inevitable, and he made a surprise switch to Everton in a bid to revive his career.

Moving to Goodison Park has done just that, with James emerging as an integral part of Ancelotti’s set-up after providing three goals and three assists in only six Premier League appearances for the Blues.

Furthermore, James has proved his worth in the English top-flight whilst not exerting himself too much in games. His laid-back approach, in fact, has reminded Ancelotti of when he coached Ronaldo at AC Milan.

“When I signed James this summer, everyone was worried about his physical state and to see how he’d cope with the intensity of the Premier League,” the Everton boss told France Football.

“During the first four games, do you know how many times he sprinted? Seven! He’s got more assists and goals than he did sprints.

“So what are we talking about? Of what we expect a player to do on the pitch?

“When I was at Milan, we brought in Ronaldo. On his arrival, he weighed 100kg.

“Before the first game, I told him: ‘You know I can’t play you. You need to lose weight’. He replied ‘What do you want me to do on the pitch? Score or run? If it’s to run, put me on the bench, if it’s to score, play me!’.

“I played him. He didn’t run, but he scored two goals. For James, it’s the same thing.”