Essien admits he wasn’t surprised to see Everton sign James Rodriguez
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has explained that he wasn’t surprised to see Carlo Ancelotti bring James Rodriguez to Everton last summer.
The Toffees’ signing of the Colombia international was seen as somewhat of a steal for the Merseyside club, with James having played for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Porto in the past.
The 29-year old has proven to be quite the influential figure since arriving at Goodison Park, scoring six goals and assisting five in the Premier League this season.
Speaking to Everton’s official podcast, Essien explained how influential Ancelotti’s word can prove to be, having played underneath the Italian during his time with Chelsea.
Talking about Rodriguez’s move to Merseyside, Essien said: “I was not surprised.
“If you’ve worked with Carlo before, anywhere he goes and he calls you, you can’t always say no. You know the sort of manager, the sort of person he is.
“I was not surprised James accepted to go to Everton because as you can see, he has been fantastic for the team and for Everton.”
When Ancelotti speaks you listen
Essien’s comments further underscore just how important an appointment Carlo Ancelotti was to Everton back in late 2019, with the Italian’s reputation, both as a coach and as a player, having had an enormous impact on the Toffees.
The club have begun to be treated with more respect after they were able to attract someone of Ancelotti’s calibre to Merseyside, while the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich boss has been able to use his influence to great effect in the transfer market.
Everton won’t be able to rely on the reputation of their manager forever, but the three-time Champions League winner was always more likely to attract big name players to Goodison Park than David Moyes or Marco Silva.
Essien is just the latest in a long line of people to speak out about the power of Ancelotti’s words and it says a lot about the quality of the man that Everton have represent them. Ancelotti is the right man to lead the club forward into their new stadium, and we hope he stays for a long time.
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