Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez: England's own Sergio Aguero who could lead Lyon's revolution with his obsession for goals

Rodriguez was born on March 11, 2008, in the city of Caracas in Venezuela. He moved to England at the age of 10 with his extended family already living there, and wanted a chance to impress local side Southampton. Instead, they determined he should get some experience lower down the pyramid at first, and so he joined Eastleigh under the pretence that the Saints would come calling again if he developed as hoped.

In a recent interview, Rodriguez told England Football: "When I was a young kid, I always wanted to be a professional footballer. I played football in Venezuela mainly through school and that was one of my goals, to move to a European country. My uncle helped to move me and all my family over to England, and I've just gone through the ranks of football since then and it's all been very fast for me to be honest."

It didn't take long for the big boys of the south coast to pick Rodriguez up after he 'scored lots of goals' - some sources claim as many as 334 in 136 matches - and in 2022 he indeed signed for Southampton, who boast one of the most successful academies in the country. While still only 15, the forward was fast-tracked into the Saints' Under-21s side to play in the Premier League 2, where he scored on his debut with a scything half-volley against Tottenham.

Given he had only been in the professional academy game for not even 24 months at this point, this was the moment scouts from all over Europe sat up and took notice of Rodriguez's talent.

All of a sudden, Rodriguez was hot property. He had already been capped at youth level by all of the countries he's eligible to represent in England, Venezuela and Portugal - available for the latter through his grandparents - by the time of his Premier League 2 debut goal, but now there was real recognition that he could be a superstar of the future. Southampton, too, were aware of the prospect on their hands, but faced a real struggle to keep him on their books.

The Saints wanted to tie Rodriguez down to a new deal in hope of agreeing a future first-team contract back in 2024, but were aware that the forward had the choice to take his talents elsewhere. There had already been frustration brewing after he played on the wing as opposed to his favoured position as a centre-forward, though Southampton were confident he would stay regardless.

Rodriguez, however, accepted an offer to join Lyon that summer, with Southampton receiving a measly £150,000 compensation fee. "I know that Lyon is a great club. It gives youngsters the chance to prove their worth so they can get into the first team. And that's what I'm looking for," he said upon his arrival in France.

A surprising influence on Rodriguez's decision was former Arsenal defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Southampton before signing for Lyon. "I trained with him for a week," Rodriguez said of him. "We were in London, and it was really interesting to train with a first-team player who has played for big clubs like Lyon and Arsenal. It helped me become a better player. I asked him a lot of questions because I didn't know what to choose. He helped me make the right choice at the right time."

Rodriguez spent much of 2024-25 in Lyon's reserve and U19 teams, ending the campaign with 12 goals and three assists in 22 games across both levels. These exploits caught the eye of senior boss Paulo Fonseca, who called the attacker into the first team for the final few months of the season. After being named an unused substitute in their Europa League quarter-final with Manchester United, Rodriguez was handed his professional debut on May 5, coming off the bench in a 2-1 loss to Lens in Ligue 1.

Rodriguez has most recently made waves for his performances with England U17s at this summer's Euros. It was his strike which got the Young Lions off the mark in a 1-1 draw with Belgium to open their tournament campaign, dropping deep to drag defenders out of space before racing in behind and thundering in at the near post.

"As a striker you need to score goals to shine, and I took my chance," he said post-match. "I only really had one chance in the game and I managed to take it, so that was great. I just want to get more now and be the top goal-scorer. In the qualifying round [in March], I scored three goals in three games so I was happy with my performance there, so I think that’s why I’m here again. That’s my job really and probably why the coach picked me, to help the team out and that’s why I’m here."

In their next game, England fell 4-2 to Italy, but again Rodriguez shone brightly. He twice brought the scores level, first to 1-1 with a sweeping finish typical of a No.9, before then turning an Italian defender inside-out with his quick feet and slotting home to make it 2-2 after half-time.

England's final group game saw them race into a four-goal lead early on in an eventual 4-2 win against Czechia, though that was not enough to save them from elimination on goal difference. Nevertheless, Rodriguez popped up with what is quickly becoming a trademark finish, using his pace to beat the last line before setting himself and coolly dispatching from close range.

Only Italy's Samuel Inacio beat Rodriguez's tally of four goals during the tournament, but considering England went out in the groups, you can hardly lay blame at the Lyon man's door for not taking home the Golden Boot.

In his own words, Rodriguez is a striker who loves scoring: "I've always been a goal-scorer growing up, and I've played there this season with Lyon. Before that, I had been playing on the wing for Southampton, but I said to myself that I want to be a striker, and I told Lyon when I moved that I wanted to be a striker and I want to score goals."

Youth scouts have previously noted that Rodriguez has almost always been physically mature for his age, able to use the gifts of his pace and strength to make himself a handful up front. The Athletic reported that it was for this reason that he was able to gain first-team exposure in training with Southampton.

Rodriguez has spoken of his frustration at being utilised as a right winger by the Saints, but the club's staff insisted this was to help develop his abilities both on and off the ball, making him more of a well-rounded forward rather than a one-trick pony. This led to him ending the 2023-24 Premier League 2 season with nine assists in only 10 games, and this reluctant stint on the flanks may well serve Rodriguez well later in his career.

There is something to be said of Rodriguez's personal fearlessness and adaptability. The easy decision in 2024 would have been to take the new contract at Southampton, yet instead he opted to start a new life in a country where he didn't speak the language. Such mental fortitude is the attitude all young players should strive for.

Southampton's coaching staff knew that Rodriguez needed to work more on his all-round game if he were to make it in his preferred role as a No.9, hence their decision to play him as a winger so early in his adult development. Having only played for school teams in Venezuela and then at a lower level with Eastleigh upon arrival in England, Rodriguez did not possess the technical proficiency of other youngsters who had come through academy systems, and he was already having to play catch-up.

Though that is not much of a problem anymore, as best demonstrated by some of his fine finishes at this summer's U17 Euros, Rodriguez still has some way to go to proving his new-found technique can translate to the top level. Unlike many of the peers his own age, he is physically ready for that next step, even at only 5'9 as a striker, though that may also be spun as a negative and that he won't be able to bully defenders as easily when the playing field is even.

That height difference compared to most No.9s is also of concern if Rodriguez's team want to play more of a long-ball game. Sure, he can hold the ball up well with his strength, but he is hardly an aerial threat and it could prove tricky for his sides to build around him without that extra dimension.

It's rare for strikers of Rodriguez's height and stature to make it at elite level, though that doesn't mean it's impossible. In fact, Rodriguez is conscious enough to cite two forwards of a similar mould as his role models.

"I think it would be [Sergio] Aguero, he means a lot to me," Rodriguez replied when asked by Lyon's media team last who inspired him, before looking closer to his new home. "Or [Alexandre] Lacazette! For me, he's a great player, he scored a lot of goals for Lyon and Arsenal, so it would be rewarding to learn more alongside him."

In the case of Aguero, there are obvious parallels. The diminutive Argentine never let his height prove an issue, instead using his agility and speed to find space that typically taller strikers would be slower to find and expose. At youth level, Rodriguez has showcased his expertise in those regards and is now waiting for the moment to take his chance in senior football.

With Lacazette departing Lyon for Saudi Pro League side Neom, there is more of an open route for Rodriguez to earn further first-team opportunities for Lyon, particularly should they have to sell more players if their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 fails.

"It's been great for me in France this year," Rodriguez said of his first season at Lyon. "I didn't know how it was going to be when I first arrived as I didn't know anyone there. I can speak English, Spanish and Portuguese but didn't speak French, but the people have been great and they talk to me everyday about how I am and how I'm feeling, so it's been very positive and I like it over there. It's obviously a different kind of football from in England, but you get used to it in and that's what I've managed to do in the last six months."

The confidence Rodriguez has in his ability and goal-scoring has helped him reach this stage of his career, a far cry from merely playing for his school all the way back in Venezuela. Now at one of France's fallen giants who have a track record of platforming young players, via an esteemed academy in England, he may be drafted into the first team sooner rather than later.