Al Rayyan midfielder James Rodriguez says he never wanted to leave Everton.

James was sold by Everton to Al Rayyan after failing to convince then Everton manager Rafa Benitez.

Asked about his situation, James lamented: "I wanted to stay at Everton a lot longer.

"This is an impressive club, they have amazing fans, but I ran into a manager who did not count on me. I wanted to be there."

James originally joined Everton from Real Madrid in 2020 on a free transfer.