‘With time…’ – Rodri says Vinicius Jr will learn his lesson at Real Madrid

Vinicius Junior remains one of the hot topics in Spain, whether he plays or not. The Brazilian forward has arguably been Real Madrid's best player, yet his antics on the pitch are generally talked about more than what he does with the ball. Manchester City midfielder and Ballon d'Or rival Rodri Hernandez believes he will learn to curb his focus.

The 24-year-old continues to emphasize his fighting spirit on the pitch, often going back and forth with referees and defenders. Last season Vinicius earned eleven yellow cards, mainly for dissent, and this year he is in danger of eclipsing that, with seven bookings in just seventeen games this season. Rodri was asked about his attitude on the pitch.

“I think he is an intelligent man and he will realize over time that the more he concentrates on what is happening on the pitch, the better he will be,” Rodri told Cadena SER.

“He is a great footballer. Like everyone, he has areas for improvement both on and off the pitch. He is young, I am sure people will advise him well, and even more so when he is in Madrid. It is a club with values.”

“Sometimes it tempts you and we all have a higher heart rate when we play, but at the end of the day we footballers are not only what we represent on the pitch but also off it. Taking care of that part seems very important to me and I have always tried.”

Whether he plans to do so or not seems to be another question. Several teammates and manager Carlo Ancelotti have asked him to focus on football in the past, but he has certainly made little change in his attitude. It may be that he seeks it out of a degree of conflict – some players play better with fire in their veins, and Vinicius is often seen stirring up the crowd with gestures.