Real Madrid allowed the Colombian to join Everton in the last transfer window on a deal which saw the Premier League side land him without paying a fee, and the Colombian has rediscovered his mojo at Goodison Park under the familiar face of Carlo Ancelotti.
His performances at the start of the season have been a reminder of his quality again and he is the creative fulcrum of an Everton side set to play host to Leeds this weekend.
Dorigo has indicated that the Colombian struggled at Real Madrid as he was not the main man at the Bernabeu and once his performances dipped he was out of the team as the club had other top stars as well.
However, at Everton, he is the star and the former Leeds defender feels Rodriguez enjoys the spotlight and the responsibility that comes with it, which has led to the excellent start to his time at Goodison Park.
The Leeds legend, previewing the clash at Goodison Park, said on LUTV: “He is absolutely top quality but sometimes when you are at Real Madrid, who is the star? There are so many stars.
“James Rodriguez suddenly is under a lot of pressure and if you don’t perform to that level every single game it suddenly becomes a little bit more difficult.
“At Everton, he is the star absolutely.
“He is James Rodriguez and suddenly the importance is on him and clearly, he thrives on that.
“And he is producing so far in an excellent start to the season.”
Rodriguez will be looking to open up Leeds’ defence this weekend as Ancelotti pits his wits against Marcelo Bielsa.
