Leeds United’s Rodrigo has potential to be among ‘best in the world’, says Jesse Marsch

The Whites coach steadfastly refuses to take any credit for Spain international Rodrigo’s excellent start to the season, which has featured four goals in the first three Premier League matches. But there seems little doubt he has responded better than anyone since Marsch took over at the end of February and started putting responsibility on the 31-year-old.

There has been more to it than that, though, with Marsch revealing he has singled the player out for criticism in front of the rest of the squad at times too.

He has been able to do that because it is so obvious to everyone what a fan he is.

“I said to him I wish I’d met him when he was 18 because he still has a lot of room for development – a lot of room,” commented Marsch. “It’s not like at 31 he’s done developing. I think we’ve seen that in the last six months.

“But he’s got every physical, technical, tactical quality he needs to be one of the best players in the world. He’s fast, he’s strong, he’s clever, he’s good with both feet, he’s a finisher, he’s good with his head. I still think as good as he’s playing, we can push him to be even better.”

Rodrigo is part of Marsch’s “leadership council” of senior players and was captain in last week’s 3-0 win over Chelsea. He could be again today with Marsch trying to tread carefully as Patrick Bamford returns from a groin injury, although he did hint Liam Cooper’s 45-minute League Cup run-out could be enough for a place in today’s starting line-up at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Leeds paid Valencia £27m for Rodrigo in the summer of 2020 but when Marcelo Bielsa was sacked as coach it is fair to see he was one of the under-achievers of the Argentinian’s time, blighted by injury and bouts of Covid which made consistency harder.

“I heard it was a struggle for him and even last season when I was here he had ups and downs and tough moments,” said Marsch. “We had a lot of really good conversations, we looked at a lot of video together.

“I’ve asked him a lot what he thinks, I’ve engaged him as a leader, he’s been fantastic in that way.

“The team really looks to him, that’s one of the things I’ve said to him – he has a big effect on everyone in the team so his work ethic, his commitment has meant when your best players have that kind of mentality there’s no room for anyone else and he’s been rewarded by it so obviously he has more hunger. That’s important.

“When you talk about the results and validation all these things fit together but for me the work has led to the success that leads to more hunger, that leads to more success, that leads to more hunger. That’s the process I think about.”

Marsch held Rodrigo up for special praise when the squad analysed the victory over Chelsea but it has not always been that way.

“This week we did a video session of attacking moments and I used Rodrigo as an example in a lot of them,” he revealed. “To be fair to Rodri, I’ve used him often as a negative example.

“I’ve talked to the leaders a lot and I use them a lot as negative examples because if I hold them to that standard then everybody knows they have to meet that standard. Rodri’s handled that really well.

“Now you can see a player that’s fully understood what we’re trying to get out of him and his hunger to score goals, to run in the box, to be in dangerous places. His hunger to want the ball in dangerous spots to insert himself in the game has been phenomenal.

“It’s been an ongoing relationship between he and I maximising him as a person but then talking about the football details that are necessary to be effective in the way we want to play and how we can use his qualities in that way.”

In terms of exceeding outside expectations, Leeds and Brighton have probably had the two best starts to the Premier League season, but Marsch has been warning his players that is all it is.

“There’s momentum but we’ve talked a lot internally and we’re only starting the process of what we’re trying to do,” he stressed. “There’s nothing that keeps you more honest than what this league is. If you take one second to think you’ve achieved something then the next opponent will come and clean you up.

“Brighton have made some good additions, have a wonderful manager and have made a good start to the season.”