Man City midfielder Rodri: Simeone taught me to be a bad guy on the pitch

Rodri was rejected by Villarreal and later found his feet at Atletico Madrid under coach Diego Simeone.

He wrote in the Players' Tirbue: "Every step of my way, I learned from my failures and brought something new to the table – a new piece of the puzzle. At Villarreal, I learned what it means to be a professional. Not just a footballer, but a professional.

“When I returned home, to Atletico, for a season, I learned what competitiveness really means. When I was at Villarreal, I was very good with the ball at my feet, but I was still a bit soft.

"With Diego Simeone, I learned what it means to be the bad guy – to be a bit of a b****** on the pitch. It was about making the other team a mess for 90 minutes. That was another important piece.”