Great captains are certainly a dying breed in football, gone are the days of Tony Adams, Carles Puyol and Roy Keane when they would urge their teams to victory from the jaws of defeat. Captains are the manager’s reflection on the pitch and a good captain goes a long way in making sure that the team performs to their potential.
Sergio Ramos is definitely one of the few natural leaders in football right now. The Spain and Real Madrid captain is one of the most decorated footballers in the planet winning every trophy on offer at the domestic and international stage for club and country.
Although there are the likes of Gabi, Philip Lahm, and Hugo Lloris, Sergio Ramos is the best captain in football right now, here’s why
#1 Leadership off the pitch
There is no denying the fact that Sergio Ramos is a great example for youngsters in the Real Madrid and Spain dressing room. “Our captain is Sergio, he’s won a lot of things in the game and has had many years at the club” said Carvajal who undoubtedly was taken under his wing when he came back to Real Madrid.
More recently he was captured doing a motivation team talk ahead of training (before the game versus Napoli), as the players attentively gathered around their leader. When Karim Benzema and Isco weren’t getting game time earlier in the season due to their attitude in training, he pulled aside the duo and told them to sort out their weight issues.
Those are not isolated incidents and showcases his influence in the dressing room and in the dugout.
#2 His vocal style of leadership
Footballers, especially defenders and captains nowadays receive a lot of criticism due to their style of leadership. Someone like a Koscielny is criticized for being quiet on the pitch although he might be a good leader. Sergio Ramos though, he is old fashioned, he is vocal on the pitch.
He shouts when he wants the ball, he points his arms and organizes his defence for every corner, and sometimes (okay maybe more than just sometimes) he does it to get under his opponents skin. That is like Pink Floyd among all the Electronic dance music.
#3 The responsibility on his shoulders since Casillas’ departure
It is quite amazing given the size of Real Madrid how Sergio Ramos has been the only constant in the back three of the goalkeeper and two central defenders. Pepe isn’t the defender he once was, he has the tendency to get injured far too often.
Rafael Varane also has been injured way too often in the last two seasons, which has hindered his progress. Nacho the other option for the position has done relatively well but doesn’t possess the quality to be the first choice for the position.
Hence, Sergio has had to take on the mantle, and with an ever-changing center back partner. Add to that a goalkeeper (Keylor Navas) behind him who is error prone and low on confidence, he has singlehandedly led the defence.
This season itself he has made on an average 3.4 clearances per game. His distribution from the back is also impeccable and add to that his goal scoring accolades (we will come to that later), he has raised his game considerably since he has become the captain of the Madrid giants.
#4 A symbol for Spain and Barcelona
Sergio Ramos is 30 and already the highest capped outfield player for Spain having won the World Cup and two European Championships. He is the longest serving Real Madrid player and has won four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, two Champions League titles (he scored in both finals), and two FIFA World Cup titles.
All this just at the age of 30, which is supposed to be around the peak age for a defender. He might hate Barcelona (quite publicly, I must say), but he still has the respect of the Spain roster, even the Barcelona players.
#5 His late goals to rescue his team
Out of the last 23 goals Sergio Ramos has scored for Real Madrid, 19 were for drawing them level or giving Real Madrid the lead. If Sergio Ramos’ goals weren’t counted, Real Madrid would be third in the La Liga table. THIRD.
The sight of Sergio Ramos heading home after the 80th minute of the game is so familiar that defences give in to their fate to a certain extent. However, his biggest contributions was in the first of the two Champions League finals.
La Decima had undoubtedly become an obsession at Real Madrid to the extent Real Madrid wasted managers like paper cups. The club after Jose Mourinho’s departure were under a veil of negativity, and that goal might be the biggest in the history of the club.
His goals were so influential that it would be criminal to call them anything apart from 'Captain's goal' (s).
