James Rodriguez's Former Manager Urges Real Madrid to Make Star 'Feel Wanted'

Julio Cesar Falcioni, who managed Real Madrid star James Rodriguez in his youth, has called for the club to give the Colombian more affection and a more important role at the Santiago Bernabeu in order for him to thrive there. 

According to Marca (h/t the MailOnline's Ben Grounds), Falcioni, who managed Rodriguez at Argentinian club Banfield, said: 

"

We gave him a position in the team with not that much responsibility so he could grow. 

We have a lot of affection for each other because of how I looked after him in those early moments; we gave him a lot of freedom to play, and he was happy to express himself with the ball.

I think the [Real Madrid] shirt carries a huge weight, but I believe he has the talent and character to wear it, and he has a bright future ahead of him.

He needs to feel important and wanted; all special talents need this encouragement so that they can unlock their potential.

"

The player said as much during the international break, per Marca (via ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan):

Per journalist Diego Torres Romano (h/t sports journalist Jonas Giaever), Rodriguez has had an unhappy time at the club, and Real President Florentino Perez will attempt to sell him:

The playmaker has struggled for form and fitness this season, first under Rafael Benitez and then Zinedine Zidane.

His performances have been unable to earn him a starting berth ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema, and when all three play, the team lack balance with Rodriguez alongside them.

As a consequence, the 24-year-old has been dropped from the starting lineup in recent weeks, and his subpar performances have attracted criticism.

Though he has not dominated games as many would have liked, and he is yet to replicate the impact of Angel Di Maria or Mesut Ozil, the No. 10 has still been able to provide seven goals and eight assists this season—respectable if unspectacular tallies in 25 appearances in all competitions.

His most recent came on Saturday, as he netted a lovely curling free-kick against Eibar just minutes into the match:

Per WhoScored.com, Rodriguez's ability to score from set pieces has seen him stand out in La Liga:

At his best, he can control games and dictate play in the final third thanks to his sublime passing, vision and unnervingly accurate shooting.

Indeed, even during his struggles this season, those qualities have helped make important contributions to the cause in otherwise poor performances—a useful trait to have.

However, the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the Bernabeu can make or break players, and unlike his team-mate Ronaldo, it seems Rodriguez is a player who responds more to support than he does to criticism, particularly when it comes from his own fans.

There's still plenty of time for him to turn his career with Los Blancos around, but equally, it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to move on. If he does, he will no doubt be welcomed into his new surroundings—wherever they may be—so expect him to thrive with somewhat less pressure on his shoulders.