Spain’s Rodrigo Hernández is set to juggle stern examinations both on and off the pitch. Two days after their opening game against Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2020, Rodrigo will be appearing in his final university thesis, a viva that is the last hurdle to complete a business degree at Castellón University.
Rodrigo, more commonly known as 'Rodri', was an integral part of Manchester City's incredible run this season - playing more minutes than any other player in Pep Guardiola's squad.
The wiry midfielder, who lived in student accommodation when he was breaking onto the scene with Villarreal, has also used the COVID-enforced lockdown to catch up on pending work and further his knowledge of business administration and economics.
“I used the time to do homework from my university degree, as there are exams in a few days' time. I'm sure it's going to be helpful in the future one way or another.’’ Rodri stated earlier.
While his focus has been on his football career, education has always been key for Rodri. He was sent to America and Ireland on foreign exchange programmes as a youngster - with his father urging him to learn English. Ahead of an interview with Marca prior to the European Under-21 Championship in 2017, the youngster was spotted with a ball under one arm and a pile of books on the other.
Safe to say, Rodri is chasing the best of both worlds.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)