Football Genius: James Rodriguez

James Rodríguez - the Brazil World Cup’s Golden Boot winner is a spectacular player. He is young but has a wealth of experience from spells in the Argentinian, Portuguese and French leagues. Precocious and virtuoso are just two of the words used to describe the 22-year-old playmaker ahead of Colombia’s World Cup quarter final against Brazil on Friday.

You may not have heard of James Rodriguez before - but you certainly have now. He is a midfielder who can play on both wings and in the centre, and he plays with extraordinary imagination. He started his career in his home country in the ranks of Envigado FC before moving to Banfield in Argentina. He won the Europa League with Porto, three league titles with Portugal, and a Portuguese Cup. After a year with Monaco and a sensational performance at the World Cup, he signed with Real Madrid. James was born in Cucuta in 1991 to Wilson James Rodriguez Bedolla and Maria Del Pilar Rubio. Brought up in the city of Ibague Rodriguez was actually named after James Bond.

His father was a footballer also, but was largely absent leaving his godfather Juan Carlos Restrepo to look out for him and guide his early football development.

Just 22, he is already Colombia’s top scorer at a World Cup and is the leading scorer so far at the 2014 tournament. For many, the player who wears the name James on his jersey has been a revelation at the World Cup.

A number of Colombia's stars have begun their road to glory in such tournaments but James' story has an added touch of controversy behind it. James began his career with the Academia Tolimense football school before getting his big break following his performances at the Pony Futbol championships in 2004. James moved to Medellin and progressed through the ranks even paying for private coaching with renowned coach Omar Suarez.

But he never went on to fulfil his potential with them as, after making only a single first-team appearance, he was snapped up by Argentine side Banfield in 2008.

Away from football, James is married to the sister of teammate David Ospina. He and Daniela Ospina have been married for three years and have a one-year-old daughter Salome.

He scored six times at the championships in Brazil and left behind wonder goals such as the volley against Uruguay, which was chosen as the goal of the tournament by FIFA.com users. He was without doubt key to Colombia reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. He was named the man of the match in three of the five matches he played.

On social media sites, Rodriguez refers to himself in profiles as a “Son of God.” Usually shy and a man of few words, he got over a mild stuttering problem during his childhood. He is the son of an ex-footballer who left the family when Rodriguez was 3. It was his step-father who took Rodriguez to a football school when he was 5 and where he usually played with boys who were advanced.