Rayo Vallecano signs James Rodriguez: Rafa Benitez pushed me out of Everton

In a recent interview with Everton's YouTube channel, he reminisced about the disappointment of leaving the club. Despite his desire to stay, the arrival of the new manager, Rafa Benitez, ultimately led to his exclusion from the manager's plans.

"I never wanted to leave, that much is obvious, I felt I could have gone on to play two or three seasons more at the club but it’s plain to see that the manager said that he wouldn’t be wanting me to be involved at all.

“The supporters wanted me to stay, and so did I, but in the end, that’s just football for you. What happened then is now all in the past, but it was a real shame because I believed that I could have gone on to achieve more in my time at Everton Football Club. I feel like I could have brought more happiness to the fans.”