Real Madrid’s young forward Jese Rodriguez has hailed boss Carlo Ancelotti for helping improve his game and get a better tactical perspective of what’s going on throughout a match.
The 20- year-old has made an impressive start to 2014 covering for the injured Gareth Bale. His goals in the Nou Camp, Mestalla and San Mames this season have also made others outside of the club take notice of the youngster, with national team boss Vicente del Bosque hinting that Jese could make it into Spain’s World Cup squad in the summer.
In an interview with Champions Magazine, Jese said much of his improvement was down to Ancelotti, who he had high words of praise for. He stated: “Ancelotti is a winner who always wants the team to improve, and that is very important. He has helped me position myself better from a tactical perspective.”
Asked what it is like to play for your boyhood club, Jese said he is living his dream at the moment, as he grew up watching people like Zinedine Zidane, now the assistant manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jese, who scored 22 goals in 38 games for Real Madrid Castilla last year, said the senior players in the squad help newcomers to settle in. “Every time an academy player is promoted to the first team all the players offer their support, and they have all helped be quite a bit,” he told the magazine.
He also said he feels no different to any other player when dealing with the expectation of the Real Madrid fans. “I cope pretty well, as I know we always have their support. Our fans are very demanding, and each game is a constant examination, not only for the academy players, but also for the veterans. We try our best, and we are there to help.”
