"Simeone taught me to be a bit of a bast*rd on the pitch"

Rodrigo Hernandez has earned the respect of the footballing world with good performances. The 28-year-old midfielder is a mainstay of both Manchester City and the Spanish national team, and he looked back on his early days in the sport in an interview with 'The Players Tribune'.
"Every step of my journey, I learned through failure, and I added something new. A new piece of the puzzle. At Villarreal, I learned what it means to be a professional. Not just a footballer, but a professional," he began.
"When I moved back home to Atletico for one season, I learned what competitiveness really means. When I was at Villarreal, I was very good with the ball at my feet, but I was still a bit soft. Under Diego Simeone, I learned what it means to be the bad guy. To be a bit of a bastard on the pitch.
"To really tackle. To make the other team miserable for 90 minutes. That was another important piece. When I had the chance to move to Manchester City the next summer, it was a dream for me," Rodri continued.
"I had spoken to Sergio Busquets before I agreed to the move, and he told me, 'Pep? He is going to make you a better player. But he is never, never, never going to stop pushing you. You will never be finished'."