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The football world is going berserk following the emergence of news has emerged of Sergio Ramos’ intention to move to Manchester United. Whether wholly true or not, Florentino Perez has to ensure that their best central defender is offered a new contract swiftly to keep him from the clutches of Louis van Gaal.It would be nothing short of a disaster if the player is allowed to pack his bags and move on to another adventure, after having spent the last 10 years of his life with Los Blancos. Let’s take a look at exactly why Ramos needs to stay put in the Spanish capital –
#1 He is a born leader
At the very highest level of any sport, you need to be a winner. No ifs, no buts. Just a single-minded desire to be the very best that you can be and in some cases, to inspire those around you to reach similar heights.
Sergio Ramos is just that type of warrior. No quarter asked or given in any game, just good old-fashioned, honest graft. The type of player that every fan who spends their hard-earned money each week can identify with.
Like Carles Puyol for Barcelona, Ramos is the standard-bearer. A player willing to take on all before him to emerge victorious.
There aren’t too many players like that around these days and given the fact that they are so few and far between, Perez should be breaking the bank to keep hold of one of his most tried and trusted generals.
A born leader, Real would be much the poorer without his services
#2 Offers a presence in attack
92:48 is a moment in time that is etched in every Real Madrid fan’s memory for eternity. Sergio Ramos rose like the proverbial salmon to connect with Luka Modric’s corner in a Champions League final that Real in all honesty deserved to lose against great rivals Atletico Madrid.
Make no mistake, his intervention at that point in time firmly swung the balance of the final in Real’s favour and was the platform for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to go on and win “La Decima,” the 10th European title that they had waited 12 years to achieve.
It wasn’t the first time that Ramos had been decisive at that end of the pitch but it’s certainly the most important. Pepe and Varane can provide a presence if required but they’re not in quite the same league as Ramos.
40 goals for a central defender is quite the stat. Compare it with John Terry for example, who has been at Chelsea for 10 years longer than Ramos has been at Real and scored one less goal.
#3 Immaculate as a defender
There are likely to be plenty of doom-mongers that point to a lack of pace as being Ramos’ Achilles heel, and there’s no getting away from the fact if he’s caught on the back foot, Ramos doesn’t have the pace of old to match some of today’s speedsters.
But what he lacks in that department, he certainly makes up for with his immaculate timing of tackles.
We can use the example of Raphael Varane, a teammate, who has incredible pace for a centre-back but still has much to learn as to the art of defending. Because that’s what it is. An art.
Ramos is one of its best exponents and far too many commentators and the like don’t give him the credit that he deserves. His reading of the game is also second to none and with it comes the knowledge of always being in the right place at the right time.
#4 Well-liked in the dressing room
One of the facets of being a professional that is often overlooked is whether a player is popular in the dressing room or not. It’s almost forgotten that for players like Sergio Ramos, this is their job. When we as individuals go to work on a daily basis, we want to share our experiences with people that we like and get along with.
Ramos is not only highly respected by his contemporaries at Madrid but is one of the most well-liked individuals at the club. A no-nonsense attitude might not sit too well with everyone, but the ex-Sevilla man is a straight talker and is often fun to be around.
When the going gets tough, as it often has at Madrid in recent times, then you need players like Sergio Ramos about the place. Someone who isn’t frightened to say their piece at half-time if inspiration is necessary. You need someone to put an arm around less experienced players, to crack a joke when the mood needs lightening, and Ramos is just the guy you want in those situations.
To lose that is just as damaging as losing his presence on the pitch.
#5 Steeped in \"Madridisme\"
The only other player in the Real Madrid side that you could say tops Ramos for his love of Madrid is Iker Casillas. For a player who has been there for his whole career since nine years of age, that is only to be expected of Casillas.
Yet Ramos too, bleeds the all white of Los Blancos. Far too much water has passed underneath the professional bridge for him not to be affected by the thrill of plying his trade in front of 80,000 Madridistas every other week at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A move to Manchester United would mark a change of direction professionally, but it’s unlikely to come anywhere close to giving Ramos the emotional pull that playing for Real Madrid has.
If we were to see badge kissing on the red shirt of United, it would be nothing more than empty gestures because there is simply no way that the Spaniard could have the same affection, given his history at Real. Falling out with the president doesn’t change that fact.
