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Sergio Ramos. The name will never stay out of the newspaper headlines newspaper headlines for long. The centre-back will be remembered not only for his defence but for his last-minute goals, leadership, bookings, risk-taking ability, trophies and so much more.
Born in Seville, he came up through the ranks of his hometown club, Sevilla. In May 2005, as a 19-year-old, he made the headlines as he scored a stunning free-kick from 25 meters out against his current club, Real Madrid. The ball swerved in mid-air, which is quite an impressive technique, for a defender and he did it in front of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane etc. The next summer, he was bought by Real Madrid for a record amount for a Spanish defender and since then, he never looked back.
Mentally, Ramos is a tough nut. But even he said he couldn't take the jokes and trolls made about his penalty miss against Bayern in the 2012 Champions League semi-final. Two months later, those trolls did not stop him from taking the penalty against Portugal in the Euros. And boy did he take it! He silenced everyone with the Panenka. He later said that he had planned it out before because of the pain.
Ramos is the perfect example of leading the team from the front. He captained Real Madrid to historic three consecutive Champions League titles. No one would forget his goals against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League finals in 2014 and 2016 which Real went on to win. He is not just their captain. He is their ultimate big game player. If needed, he would be ready to play for his team with a broken leg.
Ramos has a big influence in the dressing room. The kind of influence which would smooth the rough edges within the star-studded squad. Ramos is definitely the kind of player any manager would love to have in his team. He always gives 100% when he is on the pitch. His interpretation and his directions to his teammates makes critics say that he is a born leader.
Sergio Ramos and bookings come hand in hand. They don't need an introduction. The number of bookings he has in his career is so high that it has become a bit of a joke to every football fan across the globe. He is the most carded player in the Champions League history and he also has the most number of red cards in LaLiga with 19. In total, he has 24 red cards in his Real Madrid career. So far.
Ramos is the type of player who demands attention. We won't be sure of what to expect, be it a crucial tackle, a last minute goal or a send-off or all of the above. This kind of player has to be cherished and for all he has achieved; he probably deserves a statue in front of Bernabeu. Love him or hate him, but you cannot deny the fact that he is the heartbeat of Real Madrid.
