Jese Rodriguez says he fulfilled one of his dreams on Wednesday night – scoring a goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The 23-year-old striker netted late on in the match against Roma to help his side to an important 2-0 win to take back to Madrid for the second leg of their last-16 tie. Cristiano Ronaldo had scored the opening just before the hour mark.
Jese has had a hard time with injuries and sometimes cuts a frustrated figure because of a lack of game time. But he told the Real Madrid website that he was delighted to get off the mark in Europe’s elite club competition for Los Blancos.
“I really wanted to score in the Champions League. It is my first goal in this competition and I am very happy. I am dedicating it to myself and those who are with me each day. It was a tough goal for me to get. I have worked a lot and it is difficult to play for this side, as everyone is a good player. I am very happy,” he commented.
Asked about his relationship with new boss Zinedine Zidane, Jese said he is delighted to be working with the Frenchman again.
“I am happy that the manager gives me confidence. Since arriving he has given us all confidence. He is fully behind everyone and that is very important. We know each other from two years ago and back then he really helped me. Now I am delighted to have him as a manager. You learn from him as a person and as a manager,” he said.
