Former Leeds star Jermaine Beckford has been left blown away by what Rodrigo has brought to Elland Road.
Speaking on the Doing A Leeds podcast, he said: ‘Rodrigo, mate, this guy is amazing. I didn’t realise how much went through him until that Leicester game. We just miss him, we miss that creativity, and the ball sticking in that number 10 role.
‘My frustration is that we didn’t get him sooner. I desperately can’t wait for him to come back and fortunately, he’ll be back after the international break.’
Despite making just four starts under Marcelo Bielsa this season, the Spain international has certainly sprinkled some quality onto the Argentine’s set-up.
Across his three Premier League starts and one Carabao Cup start, Rodrigo has one goal to his name.
However, as Beckford mentions, it what he does away from scoring goals that makes all the difference to Leeds.
The 29-year-old is a quality player, who has spent numerous seasons in recent years playing Champions League football against the very best with Valencia.
It is his willingness to show for the ball and be brave that helps link Leeds together.
Without him in the side, Bielsa’s men have suffered back-to-back 4-1 defeats to Leicester and Crystal Palace, where they’ve looked a little disjointed.
Of course, Kalvin Phillips being absent as well doesn’t help, as the England international soaks up opposition pressure effectively ahead of the back four.
Similarly, Rodrigo does the same job, but going forward. The areas he pops up in attracts opposition defenders to him, where the likes of Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison can then find gaps to exploit.
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