It’s difficult to watch it and believe it but Sergio Ramos is now wearing another shirt and not the white shirt of Madrid... As his move to PSG was finally made official a few days ago he is set to start for PSG in the upcoming friendlies. But, let’s take a look at his career at Real Madrid and see how important he was and how much useful for PSG he can be.
After 16 years with Los Blancos, it was confirmed last month that Ramos would leave the club at the end of his contract, meaning he would be available for anyone to snap up on a free transfer. Understandably, he was linked with a whole host of clubs right across Europe, including Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United, who are both looking to strengthen their central-defensive options this summer. However, despite reports linking him with a switch to Stamford Bridge, Ramos has decided on a move to the French capital, insisting that he believes the move to PSG will allow him to 'continue to grow and improve' as well as maintain his ambition of adding yet more silverware to what is already a very impressive collection. The 35-year-old put the pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Parc des Princes, where he signed to reunite with former Real Madrid teammates Keylor Navas, Angel Di Maria and Achraf Hakimi.
"I am very happy to join Paris Saint-Germain. This is a big change in my life, a new challenge and it's a day I will never forget. I am very proud to be a part of this ambitious project, to be a part of this squad with so many great players. Paris Saint-Germain is a club that has already proven itself at the highest level”, the new No.4 shirt of PSG told the club’s website.
When it comes to winning silverware, PSG have certainly been the masters of it in recent years, winning 27 trophies in total since 2013. However, all of those silverware success stories have come domestically, meaning PSG's wait to win the UEFA Champions League is still ongoing. However, Ramos will add plenty of Champions League experience to the French club's squad, meaning they will be hoping they can impress in Europe in the forthcoming campaign and wrestle the trophy off Chelsea, who, of course, are the current holders. The four-time Champions League winner's experience will be vital as PSG go in search of their first-ever European Cup, with the hope being that Ramos, coupled with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, could help push the French giants over the line in Europe's premier club competition.
Ramos joined Real Madrid when he was a young boy in 2005, after making many great performances for his boyhood club, Sevilla. In the 16 years that followed, Ramos racked up an amazing 671 appearances for Real Madrid: an average of 41.9 games per season. He departs as the club's fourth all-time highest appearance maker behind only Raul Gonzalez (741), Iker Casillas (725) and Manolo Sanchis (710).
Ramos has won 22 major trophies during his glittering career at the Bernabeu, including 5 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Reys and 4 Champions Leagues. Only the great Francisco Gento has won more with the club, collecting 23 major honours during the 1950s and 60s. Lionel Messi is the only player in La Liga history to win more games (383) than Ramos, who is tied in second place with former Real teammate Iker Casillas (334).
While a defender by trade, Ramos has pitched in with more than his fair share of goals, scoring a total of 101 goals in all competitions. The centre-back is one of only 22 players in Los Blancos' history to reach a century of goals for the club. Ramos has 74 goals in La Liga, making him the second highest-scoring defender in league history behind Hierro (105).
Ramos has scored in two Champions League finals (2014 and 2016) making him the only defender to do so. He is one of four Real players to register more than one goal in Champions League finals, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (3), Gareth Bale (3), and Raul (2). In total, he's scored 15 Champions League goals, the joint-ninth highest tally of any Real player ever (level with Ivan Helguera).
It's well documented that, for all Ramos' positive qualities, his disciplinary record is not really positive. He has collected more yellow cards (173) and red cards (20) than any other player in the entire 92-year history of La Liga. In all, he has been sent off 26 times in his career to date, but even that extraordinary haul pales in comparison to the word-record 46 red cards shown to Colombian enforcer Gerard Bedoya between 1995 and 2015.
Besides his departure, Madridistas all over the world wish him the best and he sends much love to them as well. In his latest interview he didn’t hesitate to show his love and respect for Real Madrid. Asked what would happen if he were to play against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Ramos was respectful of his old club. “Real Madrid is the best club in history. I would never celebrate a goal against Madrid. Above all, it is in my heart and they deserve my respect. I would not celebrate it, not even a win, because they would not deserve it, also because of the fans,” he emphasized.
Besides that, he also gave his opinion on a potential move of Mbappe towards Madrid: “I want Mbappe in my team. Everyone is free to make their own decision. We are a big club with a magnificent project. All great players must go through Real Madrid at some point in their career, but right now I want him at my side. I personally want to play with the best in the world, and Mbappe is among the best. I also have a great desire to play with Neymar, whom I have played against many times when he played for Barcelona,” Sergio Ramos concluded.
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