James Rodriguez has claimed he had more to give at Everton – only for Rafa Benitez to rip things up.Rodriguez joined the Toffees from Real Madrid in September 2020 in what was a major coup for the club.Rodriguez made six goal contributions in his first five league games for EvertonAFPA driving force behind the Colombian’s surprise switch was the presence of Carlo Ancelotti in the Goodison Park dugout.Under Ancelotti, Rodriguez scored six and assisted nine goals in 26 appearances across all competitions throughout the 2020/21 campaign, which proved to be his only one for Everton.But once Ancelotti departed for Real Madrid in June 2021, where he went on to win both LaLiga and the Champions League twice, Rodriguez’s time in Merseyside took a turn for the worse as Everton controversially appointed Benitez as his replacement.Rodriguez ultimately did not feature under Benitez, who was sacked as Panathinaikos manager on Saturday, in a competitive fixture as he departed for Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan in September 2021.Rodriguez: Benitez didn’t manage Everton transition wellAnd the Colombian couldn’t help but take a dig at the Spaniard, who was sacked four months after his Qatari switch, in an interview with Men In Blazers.“I think at Everton I… had a good season, I think the fans and the supporters know that it was a short time but it was very intense,” Rodriguez said.“I think there was a connection between them and me.“Also, I feel l could have stayed much longer, but the coach who came after changed the whole team and I don’t think he managed it well.“But anyway I am an Everton fan who always wants the club to succeed and, to the Everton fans, just know that my feelings for you are special and I carry you in my heart.”What made Rodriguez’s bond with the Toffees faithful all the more special was the fact he could not play in front of them as no fans could attend for the majority of the 2020/21 campaign due to Covid restrictions.Benitez won just seven of his 22 games in charge of the ToffeesAFPHowever, the Colombian ace remains hopeful he can one day thank them for their support in person at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, describing it as ‘the last dance’.Back in blue?“That is something I have thought about too [returning to Everton], during the pandemic they didn’t really get to see me, the fans couldn’t go to the stadium but maybe one day, maybe sometime I will go to the new stadium,” Rodriguez remarked.“I’ll go with the fans, I’ll say hello so that they can see me because I also wanted to see them, to be able to be with them on the field but maybe one day I’ll go to the new stadium and say hello… the last dance.”It may be some time before Rodriguez can venture back to Merseyside though.The 34-year-old’s attention is solely on the World Cup having been released by Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Minnesota United to link up with Colombia ahead of the tournament.Rodriguez, who joined the Loons in February on a deal through to June but with an option through to December, registered two assists in eight appearances across all competitions for the club.The Colombian could head back to Everton, but not in a playing capacityGettyThe midfielder will now aim to guide Colombia out of Group K, where they will face DR Congo, Portugal and Uzbekistan.Colombia’s World Cup journey begins on June 17 in Mexico City against Uzbekistan in what is the Central Asian nation’s first appearance at the tournament.