James Rodriguez unveiled at Bayern Munich on 26th birthday

There was no time for cake or pinatas as James Rodriguez, Colombia's pride and joy, celebrated his 26th birthday.

On Wednesday, one day after Bayern Munich and Real Madrid agreed to the transfer of James, the Colombian attacker arrived in Munich, completed a two-part medical, put pen to paper on a two-year loan deal, was officially unveiled at the Allianz Arena, and reported for his first training session with the German club.

Speaking at his press conference, James, wearing a suit and a tie, said he got "a new challenge, a new culture, a new language, a new life" for his birthday, and also declared: "I'm happy to be here. I come here with a lot of desire and hunger to achieve things. Bayern are a team with tradition that always want to win. I'm also a winner and I want to write history here."

Carlo Ancelotti, sitting to James' right, stated: "It's a special moment. I'm very happy that James is here today." The manager, who worked with the footballer at Real Madrid in 2014-15, described him as a "great attacking midfielder." "His quality will be evident very quickly," the Italian tactician said. "I'm confident we'll improve with him."

James is the second Colombian footballer to represent Bayern following Adolfo Valencia, who pulled on the club's red shirt between 1993 and 1995.

After his press conference, he reported to the Sabener Strasse headquarters for his first training session with Bayern.

Bayern holds the option to buy the product of Envigado for a further three years at the end of his loan. He could be available for selection at the Telekom Cup, which begins on Friday.