I was dumped by a Celtic legend after 'nightclub sex' - but Jose Mourinho robbed me of Real Madrid greatness
A youth academy product at Real Madrid, the career of Jese Rodriguez has not gone the way many football fans thought it would.
The Madridista burst onto the scene in 2011 under the guidance of Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu before he embarked on a journeyman career. Jese clinched two Champions League titles during his time in the Spanish capital before he moved onto PSG in the summer of 2016. His time in France was not the fresh start he hoped for and he was shipped out on loan to La Liga club Las Palmas six months later.
During his time in the Canary Islands, however, he hit out at the Portuguese coach with claims he was never gave a fair shot in Madrid. He added: "I still say that Mourinho is a great coach but at that time there was no such thing as sympathy or coach-player proximity to let me know his reasoning. I never regretted that, it was what I felt."
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In the summer of 2017 Jese was part of a transfer that turned heads across Europe. The wideman joined Mark Hughes' Stoke City revolution on a season-long loan deal. He was joined by El Clasico ghosts of the past such as Ibrahim Afellay and Bojan Krkic along with Scotland stars Charlie Adam and Darren Fletcher, with current Rangers number one Jack Butland between the sticks. Things were looking up for the Staffordshire outfit - but not for Jese.
In December 2017 Jese left the stadium early during Stoke's match against Swansea City after Hughes had used all his substitutes. He was subsequently disciplined by the club. It was later revealed that his prematurely born son was unwell in the Canaray Islands and he was granted compassionate leave to spend time with him.
Jese made his return in February 2018 with Celtic legend Paul Lambert now in charge. He played in Stoke's 1–1 draw with Brighton but was denied the chance to take a penalty he won by regular spot-kick taker Charlie Adam, who vented his frustration. In March Jese was again afforded compassionate leave after his son underwent a second operation. However, he failed to return to training thereafter which sparked the ire of Lambert who exiled him from the squad.
At the time the Stoke boss spoke of sticking to his guns when it came to discipline, stating: “I’ve got no qualms whatsoever about it. It’s my decision, I think it’s right for the football club.” Jese was joined in the under-23 training squad by fellow want-aways Sadio Berahino and Afellay, who were also ditched for poor discipline.
According to the Sun, the mother of his child and ex-partner Aurah Ruiz had accused Jese of "having sex in nightclub loos" while they stayed in hospital. He travelled to Spain in March to join Ruiz and their child Nyan, who spent most of the eight months since he was born in hospital. Jese never featured for Stoke again and his loan spell ended on May 1 when the club confirmed that he had been given unpaid compassionate leave until the end of the season. He scored one goal in 13 appearances for the club who suffered Premier League relegation.
Fast forward to 2025 and the 32-year-old now plies his trade with Johor FC in the Malaysian Super League. The Spaniard helped his side clinch their 11th consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Perak on Monday. The team has a strong Spanish contingent including ex Swansea defender Jordi Amat. The former Real Madrid player, who joined in October 2024, has scored four goals in nine matches and is now focused on advancing in the AFC Champions League, where they face Thailand's Buriram on March 4.
Jese could also reunited will a famous former teammate. He explained: “I was called by the sporting director, Kiko Insa, and he explained everything about the project, especially for the Champions League. We're already in the round of 16, and we’re going to the final four in Saudi Arabia. I might face ‘The Beast’ (Cristiano Ronaldo), a ‘beast vs little beast’ match would be great.”
