Why does Rodri have Rodrigo on the back of his shirt?

Rodri joined Manchester City in the summer of 2019 for a then-club record £62.6 million, and the Spaniard has since gone on to win two Premier League titles and two League Cups in his short time at the Etihad Stadium.

A defensive midfielder highly rated by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Rodri joined from Atletico Madrid after coming through the academy ranks at Villarreal. 

However, while he is most commonly recognised as Rodri, the name on the back of his shirt at Manchester City and Spain says Rodrigo, accompanying the number 16 squad number he has had since arriving at the club. But why is this the case?

Why does Rodri have Rodrigo on the back of his shirt?

Generally referred to by pundits, commentators and everyone else within football as Rodri, the Spaniard was actually born Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante, meaning Rodri is simply a nickname which has stuck in the football community. 

The City midfielder has always used the first name on the back of his shirt at each of the three clubs he has played at - Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City - as well as the Spanish national team. 

Spanish players often use their first name on the back of their shirts, with Xavi Hernandez at Barcelona and Raul Gonzalez at Real Madrid prime examples. Rodri's utilisation of Rodrigo is similar, with Rodri simply a shortened nickname he goes by among team-mates and fans alike. 

Many other players not from Spain also use their first names for their shirts, with Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay and Dele Alli also falling into that category. 

Van Dijk and Depay prefer to use Virgil and Memphis respectively, due to familial issues relating to their father. 

Alli's story is similar, despite the Englishman wearing his surname on the back of his shirt for Tottenham until the age of 20. However, he decided to put Dele on his back instead, as he explained.  

“I wanted a name on my shirt that represented who I am and I feel I have no connection with the Alli surname," he said. "This is not a decision I have taken without a lot of thought and discussion with family close to me.”