Carlo Ancelotti compares Everton star James Rodriguez to legendary Brazilian ace

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Carlo Ancelotti has compared Everton star James Rodriguez to former Brazilian legend Ronaldo during an interview with France Football.

The Toffees boss says he sees resemblances between the two in the sense that people felt the Colombian wasn’t in the best shape when he checked in from Real Madrid.

Ancelotti had Ronaldo at AC Milan and some cynics made the same suggestion when he arrived at the San Siro.

Rodriguez had adapted to life in the Premier League really well, scoring three goals and registering four assists from his opening seven games.

The 29-year-old clearly relishes playing under Ancelotti and he has been quick to quash any fitness fears.

He told France Football: “When I signed James this summer, everyone was worried about his physical state and to see how he’d cope with the intensity of the Premier League.

“During the first four games, do you know how many times he sprinted? Seven! He’s got more assists and goals than he did sprints.

“When I was at Milan, we brought in Ronaldo. On his arrival he weighed 100kg.

“Before the first game, I told him: ‘You know I can’t play you. You need to lose weight’. He replied: ‘What do you want me to do on the pitch? Score or run? If it’s to run, put me on the bench, if it’s to score, play me!’.

“I played him. He didn’t run, but he scored two goals. For James, it’s the same thing.”

TBR View – Rodriguez the man to take Everton to the next level

Rodriguez has already proved an astute signing this season.

After losing his way at Real Madrid he has really settled at Goodison Park, proving a real hit at the club.

Ancelotti will hope he can recover from his current injury as quickly as possible to help Everton try and secure a place in Europe.

The comparisons to Ronaldo are certainly interesting and the man with 76 caps for Colombia has already quashed any fears over hit fitness.