'Disaster' to 'winning machine' - is Rodri the best in the world?

With 1 conclusion for nine aliases state successful nan past 18 months, Manchester City's Rodri has a beardown declare to beryllium nan astir influential subordinate successful nan world correct now.

In that clip nan Spain holding midfielder, 28, has won nan Champions League, 2 Premier League titles, nan FA Cup, Uefa Super Cup, Club World Cup, Nations League and Euro 2024.

Next up for Rodri is Sunday's crippled against City's title rivals Arsenal.

He missed nan commencement of nan play pinch a hamstring injury, having played 63 times for City and Spain past term, but returned against Brentford past weekend.

This week he claimed players are "close to" striking complete nan shot calendar, and added: "If it keeps this way, it will beryllium a infinitesimal that we person nary different option."

Since Rodri's debut for City successful 2019 they person mislaid 24% of matches without him successful nan squad compared to 11% pinch him.

With nan Ballon d'Or victor to beryllium named adjacent month, BBC Sport looks astatine conscionable really important Rodri is.

Rodri had large boots to capable erstwhile he joined Manchester City pinch Fernandinho considered by immoderate nan champion protect midfielder to ever play successful nan Premier League.

However, Rodri has made nan position his ain and now has to beryllium classed on pinch nan greats for illustration Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele, but pinch much passing successful nan guidance half and little tackling and much Champions League last winning goals.

But it did not commencement disconnected truthful smoothly, according to nan Spaniard anyhow - who said his first play astatine nan nine was a "disaster".

"The holding midfielder is nan feline connected nan transportation pinch much responsibilities," he told BBC Sport successful a caller question and reply - which you tin watch connected BBC iPlayer.

"You person to make judge squad useful and cipher is lazy aliases distracted. When nan squad doesn’t activity it’s benignant of your fault.

"You’re for illustration a coach connected nan pitch. I’m not Pep [Guardiola] successful nan transportation successful that consciousness because he overthinks nan situation. I’m much simple."

But Rodri admits it did not needfully travel people to him successful 2019 erstwhile nan nine signed him for a past nine grounds £62.8m from Atletico Madrid.

"Maybe if nan teams alteration and spell from 5 to four, I person to beryllium 'instead of 3 astatine nan backmost we person to do 2 and 1 here'. It’s thing I’ve learned.

"In my first twelvemonth I was a disaster. I was for illustration 'I don’t moreover cognize what you’re talking to maine about, conscionable fto maine play football'."

Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester's City commentator, said: "When Rodri deputised connected his ain successful that first play it was difficult to spot really he was ever going to break retired of Fernandinho’s protector and look arsenic nan standout fig he is now.

"But past successful his 2nd play - a classical Pep Guardiola subordinate denotation - he became pivotal. He made nan domiciled his own.

"He was capable to break up attacks from nan opposite, utilise Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne successful much precocious positions, and beryllium nan metronome successful midfield – ne'er passing for passing liking but location to thief unfastened up spaces and beryllium disposable to support others."

In Europe's apical 5 leagues, Rodri leads nan measurement for passes, successful passes successful nan guidance half and successful passes ending successful nan last 3rd - not bad for a protect midfielder.

Second spot connected those 3 lists are Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, Real Madrid fable Toni Kroos and iconic erstwhile Barcelona and Paris St-Germain prima Lionel Messi.

Can you spot nan overseas 1 retired there? Yes that's right, it's Messi - because he was not astatine Euro 2024 for illustration Rodri, Dunk and Kroos.

Only Arsenal counterpart Declan Rice is supra Rodri for possession won successful Europe's awesome leagues successful that time.

On apical of that Rodri scored 1 of nan biggest goals successful City's history - nan only extremity successful nan Champions League last triumph complete Inter Milan to seal nan 2022-23 Treble.

He scored a career-best 9 goals past season, including 2 important precocious strikes successful Premier League games and a extremity successful nan title-clinching 3-1 triumph complete West Ham.

"I deliberation successful his position, he’s up location pinch 1 of nan champion City person ever had, if not nan best," added Minay.

"He superseded Fernandinho and past some. Yaya Toure, different important fig successful City’s modern history - but I deliberation Rodri surpasses him too. A existent pleasance to watch, a passionate subordinate and ultimately, City’s best."

Rodri is besides a prima for his state and was named nan champion subordinate astatine Euro 2024 arsenic he helped Spain to assistance nan trophy, beating England successful nan last - albeit he was replaced astatine half-time successful that lucifer done injury.

When City mislaid nan FA Cup last to Manchester United it marked nan first clip Rodri had mislaid a crippled for nan nine successful 75 matches.

Four trophies, 1 crippled lost, publication his 2023-24 grounds for City and Spain.

He is still unbeaten successful 51 convention games - which is nan champion tally anybody has had successful Europe's apical 5 leagues since his move successful 2019.

Spain team-mate Dani Carvajal, nan Real Madrid right-back, is adjacent connected 41, a tally that ended successful 2022.

That stat is moreover much singular erstwhile you see City mislaid 3 convention games past play - and Rodri hardly misses a match.

Last play he was suspended for those 3 matches - nan only 3 games he was not successful nan squad for. He did not characteristic successful 1 different game, a triumph complete Luton successful April, but he was connected nan chair for that and would presumably person travel connected if they needed him.

So 0% Premier League defeats pinch him successful nan squad and 75% pinch him not.

"When City were charging for a 4th successive title, by March - pinch nan FA Cup and Champions League still connected nan cards - Rodri was moaning astir being exhausted, concerned for his body," said Minay.

"Yet, City couldn’t spend to remainder him. He was that crucial. He continued to play. For nine and state successful nan 2023-24 play he played 63 games."

City's grounds since Rodri joined is much, overmuch amended erstwhile he is successful nan squad - winning 74% and losing 11% of games, compared to 64% wins and 24% losses erstwhile he misses out.

When you facet successful that value to specified a ascendant squad - City person won nan past 4 convention titles and a Champions League - it is difficult to reason against him being nan astir influential subordinate successful nan world.

Rodri is besides connected a good tally for his state and has not mislaid since a Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland successful March 2023.

The Ballon d'Or victor for nan world's champion subordinate will beryllium announced connected 28 October.

Rodri is nan bookmakers' 2nd favourite, down Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr, to assistance nan award.

With Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo winding their careers down extracurricular of Europe, nan grant seems up for grabs successful a measurement it has not for 15 years.

No protect midfielder has won it since Lothar Matthaus successful 1990.

French shot journalist Julien Laurens, speaking connected nan BBC's Euro Leagues podcast, said: "Rodri has been nan champion subordinate successful nan world for 2 seasons now. He's been outstanding successful his position.

"He's not a goalscorer, he doesn't do nutmegs and skills and dribbling. But successful his position, he is possibly nan astir intelligent subordinate successful nan world correct now.

"He's been ace decisive - he scored successful nan Champions League last nan play before.

"For maine he deserves nan Ballon d'Or much than anyone else."

Minay said: "No subordinate successful City’s history has ever won nan Ballon d'Or.

"Erling Haaland’s barnstorming first play still saw him autumn short erstwhile everyone thought he mightiness scoop it.

"City are backing Rodri heavy from nan inside. They consciousness he’s their champion changeable astatine nan grant from their nominated players successful nan men’s category."

And what does Rodri himself deliberation astir nan award? He would go nan first Spanish subordinate to triumph nan grant since Luis Suarez successful 1960.

"It would beryllium a dream, of course, because I ne'er thought I could get to this stage," said Rodri.

"I cognize I play a different domiciled from astir players that are nominated for these trophies but it besides shows that shot tin beryllium beautiful successful different views, it tin beryllium beautiful playing arsenic a midfielder aliases scoring goals aliases being a defender.

"We cognize really shot works. There are a batch of group that appreciates nan domiciled of a midfielder truthful let’s spot what happens."