James hopes Everton can call the tune

BIG NAME: Everton buy Rodriguez

EVERTON new boy James Rodriguez hopes to become the Pied Piper of Goodison Park.

Rodriguez, a £20million capture from Real Madrid, says he’s ready for action when the Blues face Tottenham today despite making just one appearance in his last six months at the Bernabeu.

The 29-year-old Colombia international insists he has moved to Merseyside in a bid to resurrect his career under his former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti – and that other big names will follow when they discover that Everton’s owners really mean business.

Rodriguez said: “There are some serious-minded people at this club who mean what they say about getting

Everton into the Champions League.

“It helps when you’ve got the hugely knowledgeable manager that we have.

“The club has proved their intent with the signings they have made in this window. Let’s now hope in the next months we can live up to the optimism and that over a period of seasons other big names will want to join us.

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“The ambitions Everton have were very important to me.

“Now we have to fight hard to get into the Champions League by showing consistency.

“It’s a game every three or four days in England and you have to show a high standard every single game.

“I feel great. I feel like I could play right now because sometimes when you have a lay-off it can do you good.

“I am here to help, to work hard and to play if I am chosen.”

Ancelotti’s brief is to end a trophy drought at Everton that stretches back a quarter-of-a-century.

But the Italian also wants to take the Toffees back into Europe – and owner Farhad Moshiri has backed him to the hilt in the transfer market.

Everton were able to do a cut-price deal with Madrid so that the Spaniards could save on the £150,000-a-week wages that the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup commanded at the Bernabeu.

Another £50m has been spent beefing up the midfield by adding the muscular duo Abdoulaye Doucoure from Watford and Napoli’s Allan.

Rodriguez said: “I know it will be really intense, with high-tempo games. But I believe that if you can play football and you have ability and skill then it’s easy to adapt to any style.”