Today is Leandro Rodriguez’s 32nd birthday. He played just one game for Everton.
Even those who were sceptical of their coach’s remarks were intrigued by how the Catalan spoke about one new signing in 2015. Everton was looking to rebuild at the beginning of his third term after a disappointing second season under Martinez, whose first had produced a Premier League record 72 points for the Blues. Everton supporters quickly learnt to take Roberto Martinez’s ebullient praise of his team and players with a grain of salt.
That summer, they made investments in Mason Holgate, Aaron Lennon, Gerard Deulofeu, and Ramiro Funes Mori. Tom Cleverley also joined on a free transfer.
However, Martinez was as thrilled about his £500,000 acquisition from Uruguay as any of those well-known players. Leandro Rodriguez was that individual.
The striker signed a four-year contract after scoring 19 goals in 71 games for his local team at River Plate Montevideo. The Everton boss described the striker as a “elite, talented youngster who we like to bring in” when he first arrived.
The Everton manager didn’t discuss the player in greater detail until September 2015.
Rodriguez was named in the first team squad for the League Cup match against Reading after scoring a few goals for the team’s Under-21 squad early in the season. He had displayed glimmers of a striker’s instinct, and supporters were starting to take notice.
Martinez stated that the striker’s father, a dentist, wanted him to finish his education. “We were aware of Leandro’s goalscoring ability very early on after seeing him in a tournament in the United States,” Martinez said. “We wanted to monitor his development, but we were taken aback when we saw he wasn’t playing for the first team.
As it turned out, his father forbade him from playing since he wanted him to finish his university education. He eventually consented to let Leandro focus just on football for a year, and that’s when he really took off. His ability to find a way to score goals during the games at River Plate Montevideo was quite amazing.
“The goal we have set for Leandro has not changed. Because he takes what the defence offers you, he plays street football.
Rodriguez ultimately made his Blues debut in January 2016 after sitting on the bench against Reading. He entered the game in the last minute of the team’s FA Cup victory over Dagenham & Redbridge.
In the end, it would be Rodriguez’s only club appearance. Before that agreement was terminated, he was loaned to Brentford in March. Rodriguez’s chances of getting a job improved when Martinez was fired. In 2016, Ronald Koeman, his successor, did not even include him in the preseason touring squad.
Phil Kirkbride summed up the young player’s predicament later that season in a January 2017 Royal Blue piece, writing that he was now “marooned in football purgatory”.
“Back to Everton’s under-23s he went, making the odd appearance in the Lancashire and Liverpool Senior Cups as the second string built up their pre-season, but try as he might he failed to make an impression,” the writer said.
When the u-23 team fell 2-1 against the League Two team in their second Checkadtrade Trophy match on Tuesday night in Cheltenham, an unusual call-up occurred. That evening, the chosen attacking substitutes from the bench were Conor McAleny, Bassala Sambou, and Delial Brewster.
“After taking a shower, Rodriguez boarded the bus and made his way back to Merseyside through the night, scarcely perspiring.
“He must depart for the benefit of his career. Even at Rodriguez’s level, football players make the kind of money that makes sympathy difficult to come by, but the sight of the young striker that night in Cheltenham, the homesickness he experienced upon leaving Uruguay, and the fact that his employment prospects are so dire may make some people more lenient.”
Following the early termination of a loan to Waasland-Beveren, he eventually departed Everton in August 2017 to sign with Uruguayan team Danubio. He presently plays for Bella Vista and has represented seven clubs since then.
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