James Rodriguez on father-son relationship with Ancelotti

James Rodriguez's absence from Everton's win against Leeds sparked rumours of a rift with boss Carlo Ancelotti, but the Colombian has moved to rubbish such talk.

James even went as far as to suggest that Ancelotti is something of a father figure to him.

"When I thought about coming to Everton, I thought about [Ancelotti]," said James in an interview with Telemundo Sports.

"He is a coach I've known for a long time. He knows how to treat his players, those who are always around him.

"I have a fantastic relationship with him, like father and son."

James has played 17 games for Everton this season, scoring four goals, and has previously played under father-figure Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.