James Rodriguez: ‘I’ve always dreamed of playing for Al Rayyan’ ​

He couldn't say no

James Rodriguez

James Rodriguez has fulfilled a boyhood dream by signing for Qatari giants Al-Rayyan SC.

The Colombian international broke down in tears when super-agent Jorge Mendes confirmed a move to the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium had finally materialised.

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Everton’s No19 joins the Middle Eastern outfit after being frozen out at Goodison by Liverpool FC legend Rafa Benitez.

‘As a young boy kicking a ball about the streets of Ibagué in Colombia, I dreamed about one day pulling on the famous red and black stripy jersey of Al-Rayyan’, the 30-year-old told Paddy Power News.

‘My friends and I would pretend we were Al Rayyan legends such as Mansour Muftah Faraj Bekhit Al-Abdullah when we scored a goal’.

James Rodriguez

‘Never in a million years did I think that one day I would be fortunate enough to walk out onto the hallowed imported turf at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium’.

Rodriguez announced the move by posting a heavily photoshopped childhood pic of himself in an Al-Rayyan kit to Instagram along with the caption:

‘Don’t give up on your dreams kids’.

Meanwhile, the Qatari club have teased the imminent signing in a video of Rodriguez performing a series of keepie-uppies with cinder blocks being tossed at him by migrant construction workers.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also confirmed the deal in a tweet which read:

‘James Rodriguez to Al Rayyan: HERE WE GO! Done deal between the Oil Money FC and Big Dunc’s XI! Toffees willing to accept loan deal to get greedy sh*te off the wage bill. Move should free up extra funds for Rafa to bring in another couple of peak 2013 Prem stars like Asmir Begovic and Andros Townsend during Jan transfer window’.

Rafa Benitez Everton

The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder will be managed at Al Rayyan by ex-Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc.

When asked what he hoped to achieve with the club after signing a player of Rodriguez’s calibre, the cultured French World Cup winner said:

‘Couldn’t give a f**k mate. Just here for the money’.

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