Manchester City supporters have had the pleasure of watching many of their club’s stars in action during the 2024 European Championship.
With 14 players from the City squad selected to represent their countries than any other Premier League side, four of them are set to take part in Sunday’s final between Spain and England.
After helping Pep Guardiola’s side win a fourth consecutive Premier League trophy, either Rodri or Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones will be getting their hands on another major title.
Now though, one former Premier League star has shared some significant praise for one of the key City players who has played a vital role for his club and country in recent years.
Juan Mata hails ‘outstanding’ Rodri ahead of Euro 2024 final
Appearing in a recent video shared on the talkSPORT YouTube channel, Juan Mata had this to say about Rodri ahead of Sunday’s final.
He said: “Instrumental. Instrumental for Man City, of course, but instrumental for the national team.
“The coach has found a way of mixing him with Fabian Ruiz, which is doing a great Euros. He is a leader on the pitch, Rodri, and I am sure that he is a leader also off the pitch.
“He has got a great personality, he is an outstanding player.”
Rodri is vital for City and Spain
Looking back over his previous Premier League campaign, Rodri, who Micah Richards recently said is the best defensive-midfielder in the world, appeared in all but four of City’s 38 games.
Having been suspended for three of those four matches, those three games ended up being the only fixtures that the Blues lost throughout the campaign.
The midfielder has been similarly important for Spain in this current tournament as he’s played more minutes than any other outfield player in the squad.
As many City supporters will know and the England players that have played against Rodri previously, he will be a key player in Sunday’s final and someone the Three Lions will have to be wary of.
