Jese: "What I have is muscle, not fat!"

Jese Rodriguez responded to criticism regarding his physical appearance while signing for Real Betis.

Jese Rodriguez responded to criticism as he is trying to put his career back on track in Betis.

Not long ago, Jese was considered as one of the finest talents in football. He was playing for Real Madrid where he showed his skill and pace week after week.

It looked as though Jese would become one of Real's homegrown legends which are quite rare in modern time (Casillas is the only one that comes to mind).

Things didn't work out for Jese who was eventually moved out of Madrid thanks to star players coming in. It looked as though he found a place in PSG, but Jese hardly played in France's capital.

Injuries contributed to his lack of playing time and subsequent loans to other clubs. He went on loans to Las Palmas, Stoke, and now Real Betis.

None of the loans have worked so far, but the player is optimistic that he will get his (failing) career back on track in Spain.

Betis signed him at the end of January, and before Jese has even put his foot on the pitch, he has already faced criticism for his physical shape.

Jese Rodriguez joins Real Betis on a season-long loan from PSG {Squawka} pic.twitter.com/1BiMDqi2R3

— FOOTBALL FORUM (@FootballForum15) January 30, 2019

Jese, who has never held back in explaining his views, responded to this criticism right in his press conference.

"I'm fine. I've been training quite a fair bit since I started the campaign with PSG. A lot of people have commented on my weight. I had a knee injury and I had to build up strength in my legs. What I have is muscle, not fat."

An effective response from the player who has last played a competitive match almost a year ago.

Still, more muscle means more weight and slower overall speed, which could be a big problem for persistent Jese.

Will Jese Rodriguez ever return to that physical shape he had at Real Madrid? Probably not, but with persistence and hard work anything is possible.