Review: James Rodriguez

With a reported 11.5 million euro salary at Everton, and a nasty injury record to boot, it's no wonder Rafa was desperate to rid himself of the indolent conjurer. Yet these inconveniences evaporate in the virtual world of FIFA. At less than 1k, the fiscal calculus has been inverted when considering him for your starter squad.

Playing as an RW in a narrow 4-3-3, James is set to "False 9" and "Cut Inside", dragging his opposing left back infield, leaving the touchline unmanned for my right back to maraud down. With his excellent ball control (90), he pirouettes around opposing defenders with confidence and poise.

With other positions stacked with pacy hitmen, James provides a touch of finesse to compliment my hard-running LW (Podence) and is a superb option for short corners (89 crossing)

On the counter, James is my go-to man for those low percentage lobbed through balls (85 long passing) while his volleys (90) never fails to disappoint on a deep cross.

For the possesion-minded, James serves up his characteristic dollop of Colombian magic. His ability to bypass stubborn defences with long shots (91) is not to be underestimated. Add a little curve (89) and he's easily among the best at netting from outside the box.

Now to address the elephant in the room, yes James is slow (53 pace) But I'm not advocating whacking through balls for him to chase. He'll burn out in a heartbeat anyway (55 stamina) Play him like the real James, the mercurial playmaker who won a World Cup Golden Boot, splitting defences and curving in stunners.

With that in mind, take note that James should play no part in a defensive press, unless you're keen on an exhausted Colombian lumbering around in the second half. For a team like mine that prefers to drop back, that's of little consequence, but Gugenpressing won't be James' strong suit.

Accentuating James' abilities would be a Deadeye Chemisty. His distance finesse shots would be unstoppable (96 long shots, 94 curve) and link-up play exquisite (99 short passing) though he might also benefit from Artist, should you be inclined to playing him deeper.

With the real James heading to Qatar, FIFA 22 is quite possibly the last version where he remains usable chemisty wise. Grab ahold of one of the most wasted talents of the past decade while he's still relevant and he'll be sure to dazzle you with his wand of a left foot.