Everton boss, Carlo Ancelotti, has likened James Rodriguez to Ronaldo Nazario.
The 29-year-old Colombian has confounded fears he would struggle with the intensity of the Premier League with three goals and three assists so far.
The Italian told France Football: “We use them (running statistics), especially in training, but I’m going to tell you something: when I signed James this summer, everyone was worried about his physical state and to see how he’d cope with the intensity of the Premier League.
“During the first four games, do you know how many times he sprinted? Seven!
“He’s got more assists and goals than he did sprints. So what are we talking about? Of what we expect a player to do on the pitch?’
read also:Everton boss Ancelotti: Isco a fantastic player
Ancelotti claims that Brazilian legend Ronaldo was overweight when he arrived at AC Milan in 2007, but that the player convinced him not to leave him out.
He continued: “At his arrival, he weighed 100kg. Before the first game, I told him: ‘You know I can’t play you. You need to lose weight’.
“He replied: ‘What do you want me to do on the pitch? Score or run? If it’s to run, put me on the bench, if it’s to score, play me!’.
“I played him. He didn’t run, but he scored two goals. For James, it’s the same thing.”