Whelan tells Benitez to get Everton’s ‘Ndombele’ into starting XI after Athletic reveal
Noel Whelan has told Rafael Benitez to get James Rodriguez back into the Everton team after he failed to move this summer.
The former Leeds United hitman, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, reacted to the latest claims on the Colombian.
The Athletic report (1 September) a move to Porto failed to materialise as the 30-year-old refused to compromise on his £200,000-a-week wage demands.
Rodriguez is yet to make an appearance this season with the Toffees starting the season in fine form.
It remains to be seen whether Benitez will recall the attacker after a move failed to materialise.
Whelan insists Everton can’t afford to keep a player with Rodriguez’s talent out of the side.
“Tottenham have the same situation with Ndombele, he’s Everton’s Ndombele, basically,” Whelan told Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge.
“You don’t have millions of options there, you need to have as many good players as possible.
“You have to show those players that they are at the right club. If the player isn’t willing to fight and run then you have to look somewhere else.
“It’s a really difficult situation for Everton but can you really afford to not use a player of that ability?
“You have to get him on-side and get him out there and playing. That’s more beneficial for Rodriguez, he needs to put himself in the shop window.
“As good as he was at the start of last season, there were a few injuries there. He was always in and out of the side.
“If he really wants to move, he needs to do it for Everton first.”
In other news, Sources: Everton sold Bernard at £8m discount after transfer collapsed at eleventh hour.