Manchester City midfielder Rodri has admitted he has put on 10kg since he came to English football, as he talked about the physical demands of the Premier League.
Rodri has sat down for a wide-ranging interview with AS and touched on his transformation.
Rodri signed for City back in 2019 from Atletico Madrid, with City paying the Spanish club around £63 million at the time.
That was a huge fee, but Rodri has ultimately gone on to make it look like a snip. He took a bit of time to find his feet at the Etihad at first, but is now the best player in his position in the world, and one of the very best players in the game regardless of position.
Rodri has been able to get to this point because of the way he’s looked after himself, and the way he’s adapted to English football…
Rodri talks up his physical transformation at Manchester City to become one of the world’s best players
Rodri is someone that players fear coming up against.
He is world-class in what he does, and it’s not just because of his ability on the ball and his intelligence.
Rodri – described as City’s ‘lynchpin’ recently by pundit Stephen Kelly – is physically imposing, and can use his 6ft 3in frame to get the better of people. Rodri has always been tall, but he has not always been as strong as he is now, with the star claiming he’s actually put on a fair bit of weight since his early days at City.
He told AS: “I’ve put on ten kilos since I arrived in England. It’s necessary. Your body adapts. The nutritionists we have are prepared for a more physical league that requires more strength. Muscle structure is formed after playing games, with strength.
“Now I see the same thing with Pau Torres at Aston Villa. At Villarreal he was skinny, like myself, but he’s filling out. You can tell he’s come to the Premier League.”
An interesting admission from Rodri
It is very interesting to hear Rodri discuss his physical transformation at City.
Looking back at pictures of him from his first season, you can tell that Rodri was skinnier and perhaps this was a reason why he didn’t really pull up too many trees in his first term at the Etihad.
He had come in from La Liga, which is a competition that isn’t as physically demanding as the Premier League.
Clearly, he and the people around him felt it would benefit him if he filled out a bit and we now see the physical specimen he is today.
Rodri’s weight gain has really helped him to become a dominant player in the midfield. He is so difficult to get around and muscle off the ball, and when you combine this with his use of the ball, then you have a truly incredible player.
