‘I went a long time without speaking to anyone’ – Rodrygo Goes opens up on ‘very difficult time’

Real Madrid star Rodrygo Goes has opened up on the personal issues that kept him out of action towards the end of last season. The Brazilian season confirmed that his absence from the team was not down to injury or fever as was claimed.

Rodrygo had for some time been a starter for Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti, but fell out of the team in April. After being withdrawn at half-time in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, Rodrygo was not seen again for the rest of the season.

‘I went a long time without speaking to anyone’ – Rodrygo

In an interview with Diario AS, Rodrygo has confirmed that this was down to his mental health.

“The truth is, I had a very difficult time on a personal level. I went a long time without speaking to anyone. No one knew what I was going through. It was a very difficult time. I wasn’t well, either physically or mentally. That was really hard for me. First God, then my family… and Coach Ancelotti helped me get through all that. Carlo helped me a lot. He saw every day that I wasn’t well, that I wasn’t fit to play, that I couldn’t help the team.”

“But there was no time to recover because we played every three days, and then you can’t stop to solve the problem. He saw that I’m a person and I had real problems. He understood my moment and my complicated situation. He told me: ‘Just stay here calmly, you’re not fit to play now.’ I thanked him and asked to play. But he knew he had to recover the person before the player.”

“The important thing was to be in good shape. It was a very difficult time in my life, but now I’ve overcome everything, I’m okay. Whenever I can, I thank Carletto, his son Davide, and the coaching staff. Everyone helped me, and of course my family. Now I feel nothing but joy, I’m happy, and very motivated to have a great season.”

Rodrygo: ‘I’m a different person now’

The Brazilian agreed with interviewer Tomas Roncero that he now had a different outlook on the world, having come through the other side.

“It’s true that I’m a completely different person now. I’ve come out of it with a different mindset, a different enthusiasm, more mature. I feel very good, and I’m sure this season will be better for everyone, for the team and for me.”

Work to do for starting role

Rodrygo confirmed during the interview that he was was willing to play wherever Xabi Alonso saw fit, and for however long he did so too, whether that be 20 minutes off the bench or in the starting team. Thus far Rodrygo has almost exclusively been used off the left by the Basque manager, and has started just twice, but looked good. For more minutes though, he must  displace Vinicius Junior.