Former Real Madrid player Jese Rodriguez made his English Premier League debut on Saturday, and managed to bag a goal. But more than just getting on the scoresheet, Jese got a bit of revenge for something that happened to him when he was a Real Madrid player.
Once upon a time, Jese Rodriguez looked like he was going to be Real Madrid’s next big thing. He was Carlo Ancelotti’s first man off the bench, and was showing a capacity to tear up defenses wth ease. He was to Carlo Ancelotti what Marco Asensio is to Zidane, a young player who bleeds white who was beginning to show that it was his time to shine.
But then, one fateful day in March, Jese’s Real Madrid career hit a brick wall. It was the spring of 2014, and Real Madrid had to face Schalke in the Champions League on the way to winning the Decima. Jese broke forward on an attack, and was brought down with a hard, and perhaps somewhat dirty tackle by one Sead Kolašinac. The Bosnian’s devastating tackle ruptured Jese’s ACL, removing him from action for the rest of the season.
Jese never recovered the form that once saw him hailed as Spain’s next great attacking superstar. ACL injuries are tough, and can really mess with a player’s ability to change speed and direction quickly, a key facet of Jese’s game.
Jese’s injury really set him back at Real Madrid, ultimately ending his Real Madrid career. Madrid sold Jese on to Paris Saint Germain, but he never managed to make his way into the first team on a regular basis. After a brief stint last season in Las Palmas, Jese now finds himself plying his trade for Stoke City.
On Saturday, Jese made his debut for The Potters against Arsenal. As fate may have it, Jese found himself lining up against none other than Mr. Sead Kolašinac. And, as fate may have it, Jese managed to make his way onto the scoresheet, scoring the goal that would seal Stoke’s 1-0 victory over the gunners.
Drink it in, Jese... pic.twitter.com/anbUsz5hfP
— GOAL (@goal) August 19, 2017
The last time these two met on a football pitch, Kolasinac threw a major monkey wrench into Jese’s career trajectory. While the defender most likely had no intention of injuring Jese, it still has to feel good for Jese to announce his arrival in the EPL by scoring a goal on the man who impacted his career in such a negative way.
Best of luck to Jese. His career at Real Madrid showed great promise, and I’ll be hoping he finds his top form once again.
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