During his final two years in Spain, and his first two at City after signing in 2019, the classy midfielder was enrolled at Universidad de Castellon in eastern Spain.
This meant he had to juggle classes with trying to achieve his dream of making it in professional football.
Not only did the 26-year-old feature prominently for both Villarreal and Atletico Madrid before switching to Pep Guardiola’s side, he obtained a degree in business administration.
While living in student accommodation, he also met long-term girlfriend, Laura.
And Rodrigo described why further education is an experience like no other.
“For me, it was the best time of my life. Spending time with young people the same as as you. Studying and going out sometimes. It was good... a great time,” he explained.
“It was funny because I met her (Laura) in the student residence and she was starting also on medicine.
“She was like ‘what is this guy doing here?’ And I met her when I was in the U21 side of Villarreal and it was kind of like this when I start moving forward in professional football, she was a bit shy in this sense because she didn’t want the people to speak.
“You know how it’s like, there was like 400 students in the same (place).
“I always say the same thing; it’s a unique experience in your life and you have to live it.
“Studying is one of the best things and I think when you arrive, school is sometimes a little bit boring, but when you arrive into the career it’s so good because they leave you the freedom to choose, the freedom to study what you want, the freedom to meet the people you want.
“It’s a great time and I have four incredible years.
“I was in two afternoon classes because I trained in the morning and I tried to go everyday to the class and then in the uni, it’s not the same as school.
“You can not go to all the classes, or you have just one exam, normally in January, so you can organise yourself to study. So it was cool.
“I enjoyed it because I finished training and then I open my brain and stuff in other things and maybe to forget the pressure and this kinds of things that sometimes is tough to deal with and it was great.”
Shortly after his move to the Club, the world was put into a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Despite the unprecedented period in his life, Rodrigo revealed how it surprisingly aided his studies while in England.
“Suddenly we have the pandemic. And it sounds bad but in a good sense it was a good thing that the fact the exams were online because before I had to travel to them in Spain,” he said.
So I kind of finished early because I had the chance to learn online. But it was the same, not going to class of course, but trying to learn in distance.
“I finished last year so now I am free, but it was a great period for me.”
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