Former Everton star Marcus Bent has defended James Rodriguez over his Twitch comments, claiming that he did not know who the Toffees were playing.
The Colombia international has effectively been exiled from the club.
Speaking on his Twitch channel, in which he plays video games and often answers questions from supporters, Rodriguez claimed that he simply was not aware of who Everton were playing ahead of their clash with Leeds United at Elland Road.
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Fans, of course, were naturally taken aback by the comments but Bent thinks that the attacking midfielder is simply not used to life in the Premier League, explaining why he often speaks out of turn.
And he insists that the former Real Madrid star should be reintegrated into Rafael Benitez’s squad, because he remains an elite player at Goodison Park.
Speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol, he said: “With foreign players, players coming into England, coming into the Premier League, it’s not a home from home, it’s away from what you know and sometimes you say the wrong thing.
“Sometimes maybe you’re trying to say the right things but it doesn’t come across the right way. And so, again, he’s a quality player, he just needs to maybe be talked to or talk the right way.”
James has only had one full season at Everton, making 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and registering nine assists.