This summer, a star was born. And it came from an unlikely source.

Colombia had not made it to a World Cup contest since 1998, and many wondered whether the return competitor would be more than a participant. Colombia proved to be a true contender, and most of that came about because of one superstar shining on the biggest stage -- James Rodriguez.

After his exploits in Brazil, the reigning Golden Boot winner got a chance to play for the biggest club in the world in Spain’s capital.

But his arrival was not met with the greatest of anticipation. The superstar was often criticized by fans for being an unnecessary expense. Many felt he added nothing to an already stacked midfield that already had Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Isco, Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi. Moreover, his natural inclinations as an attacking central midfielder made him pointless in Carlo Ancelotti’s preferred 4-3-3 formation. Simply put, he would disrupt the championship caliber balance and prove a bust. Many saw it as a marketing ploy with minor impact on the pitch.

Six months later, Rodriguez has turned all the heads around. He has fit well into the modified 4-3-3, which looks even better in 2014-15. He has shown a willingness to adapt his game and defend. And he has continued to excel at what has made him such a valuable asset.

But the road has not been easy. And Rodriguez has yet to overcome complete hostility from fans who are worried about him taking precious time from fan favorite Isco. So how has Rodriguez evolved during his time at Real Madrid? And how strong a signing has it been?

The basic stats tell a good story. Ronaldo leads the team in assists and goals. Who comes second in helpers? Rodriguez with seven in the Spanish league. Where does Rodriguez rank in goals scored? Fourth on the team with six. When these numbers are extrapolated to all competitions, Rodriguez has 10 goals and eight assists in 27 matches for Real Madrid, truly strong numbers by any account when one considers a few factors.

First off, Gareth Bale, he of the 20 goals a year ago has 13 strikes and four assists in 26 matches this year, and he has only played a little over a half hour less than the Colombian. Secondly, Rodriguez’s stats are already well on track to surpass those of Angel di Maria, the man he essentially replaced. A year ago, di Maria in his finest moment for Real Madrid put up seven goals and 22 assists in 45 appearances across the Spanish league and Champions League. Whether or not Rodriguez matches those 22 assists is one massive question, but he is already scoring more than the Argentine and adding yet another lethal attacker to the squad.

And regarding his passing, the eye test and advanced numbers tell quite a strong story for the 23-year-old Colombian. Those who witnessed Rodriguez’s two assists in Getafe (pinpoint crosses that Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale finished off with ease and relish) know this guy’s passing is not only deliberate but accurate. But the underlying numbers only emphasize this.

Rodriguez averages 2.6 key passes per game, more than any other Madrid player, a number di Maria matched last year for Los Blancos. And for those wondering, key passing monster Lionel Messi is averaging 2.4 key passes per game this year in Spain. He also averages 1.9 crosses per game, more than any other player (aside from Jese who only has 19 minutes of playing time in Spain). He is also tied for first on the team with 0.3 through balls per game. And for those keeping track, his passing accuracy has been better than it has ever been in his entire career. Part of that has to do with his averaging more passes per game than he ever has in his career, but the stats show Rodriguez is also making more of his passes.

His passing stats in previous years had never actually climbed to the heights of this season. He had 11 assists in 33 matches for Monaco last season, his career best. He also averaged 2.5 key passes per game and only 1.5 crosses per game and only scored seven goals in the entire year.

But here comes the clincher. Heading into his season with Los Blancos, Rodriguez was a mediocre defensive player. He is not an elite defender, but he has improved drastically with Madrid. His career average of interceptions per game clocks in at 0.8. He is already averaging 0.9 interceptions per game in Spain and 1.6 per game in five UCL matches. His fouls are down from a career average of 1.1 to 0.6 per game in Spain and the Champions League; in 2013-14, he average 0.8 fouls per game. And this is made all the more impressive when one considers that Rodriguez is actually averaging more tackles per game. His career average of 1.4 tackles per game is clearly skewed by his season averages of 1.6 in Spain and 2.2 in Europe as he never averaged more than 1.1 tackles per game in a season.

These numbers indicate, while Rodriguez is making more tackles, he is also making smarter ones that result in fewer fouls. Additionally, Rodriguez, for all of his increased possession and passing is actually losing the ball less often than ever in his career. Over his career, he has been dispossessed 1.4 times per game, but he is only being dispossessed 0.8 times per game for Real Madrid this season. And the superstar is also averaging 1.2 poor touches per game this year, the lowest mark of his career.

For those wondering how that compares with di Maria, the numbers are slightly better for the Colombian. Di Maria averaged 1.3 tackles per game, 0.6 interceptions per game and 0.7 fouls per game with Los Blancos in 2013-14 in a similar position to the one Rodriguez plays this year.

In comparison to the rest of his teammates, Rodriguez is eighth in tackles per game, ninth in interceptions per game and 14th in fouls per game.

On the negative side of things, he is getting dribbled past more per game this season, but that has to do a lot with his playing out of a position for long stretches of the year. He has also gotten more yellow cards than he ever has as well, with four this season.

Lastly, he is only 23 and not in his peak years. Despite having some poor performances here and there, the Colombian star is clearly working well with the star-laden Madrid squad. One can only imagine how much better he will get as he enters the best years of his career.