Monaco's James Rodriguez Says 'It Will Be a Dream' to Play for Real Madrid

Monaco's James Rodriguez who lit up the 2014 World Cup with his talent, has said that it will be a dream come true for him, if he gets a chance to play for Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old has also been linked with a move to England with Manchester United touted as a potential destination. It was rumoured that a bid in the region of £65m was being spoken about to bring the World Cup star to Old Trafford.

The Colombian has been nominated for the Golden Ball after his scintillating display took his country to the quarter-finals of the World Cup only to be narrowly beaten by Brazil.

Rodriguez, who was the shining light for Colombia, says he was happy to play in the World Cup but was disappointed not to make it further in the tournament.

However, the former Porto player's exploits in Brazil have not gone unnoticed and European champions Real are very keen on bringing the player to the Santiago Bernabeu and have also received a positive response from the player. Rodriguez has confessed his love for Real and says that he will jump at a chance to play for the iconic club.

"I've liked Real Madrid since the days when Zidane, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Fernando Hierro were around. I've been following them religiously since then," Rodriguez told Marca

"Playing for Real Madrid is my life's dream: it'd be a privilege to play alongside so many stars. If it happened, I'd enjoy it to the max. It's really flattering to know that a club of Real Madrid's stature is interested in me," the Colombian star added.

"It'd be a dream to join the club of my dreams. I have a great deal of respect for other clubs and admire the good football they play, but ultimately Real Madrid are Real Madrid. I've always had a thing for them, like I said before."

"I've been to the Bernabéu once and I thought it was an amazing stadium. The first thing I said when I walked in was 'I want to play here one day'."

"Would I jump at the chance to go to Real? No doubt about it, my answer is a resounding yes." Rodriguez confirmed.

However, Rodriguez, who is still a Monaco player has said that, even though he would like to play in Real Madrid, he respects his current club for the opportunity they have given him and reiterates that his current employers will have the final say on his future.

"I'm eternally grateful to [club president] Dimitry [Rybolovlev] and [vice-president] Vadim Vasilyev for the opportunity they gave me. The club is building something big. Obviously it would be a dream for me to play for Real Madrid, but I will always respect my current club, who will have the last word on the matter," the Colombian World Cup star concluded.