Best in the world? Sergio Ramos is perhaps the most famous defender in the world right now. After his performance in the final of the Champions League against Liverpool, the Spain captain incurred the wrath of the majority of the football fraternity because of his actions in the game.
At first, a hard foul on Mohamed Salah ended the Egyptian’s night and then an elbow to Lorius Karius apparently induced a concussion. Although the intent can never truly be deduced accurately, Ramos has regardless faced the inferno of the masses due to his rough style of play. But make no mistake here: defensively, Ramos was astute throughout the game.
While the former Sevilla star can, at times, be a liability due to his hot head and the subsequent proneness to earning yellow and/or red cards, he can never truly be counted off from a game. Ahead of the World Cup, many are talking about the dark side of his game. This slideshow, however, appreciates and acknowledges him as the best defender in the world.
Consistent at top level
Sergio Ramos has been playing at the top level for as long as anyone can remember. Considering this, 32 is a young age for someone who has been around since 2004. Busting into the scene as a young and aggressive fullback at Sevilla, he joined Real Madrid in 2005 and became an instant hit with the Madridistas.
Versatile
As mentioned earlier, Ramos started his career at right-back. In his journey from the youngster at Sevilla to the captain of Real Madrid, he has played in a number of positions.
From emergency striker to a roaming libero, Ramos has done it all. While he might not have been super-amazing in all the positions that he was tried in, he was almost always a decent option.
Scores important goals
One of the reasons why he is different from the other defenders is that he can score some crucial goals for his team. It is for this reason why Fabio Cannavaro lauds the Spaniard while speaking to FIFA.COM
The former Ballon d’Or winning defender said: “…He surpassed all expectations [after being shifted to the centre of defence from right-back] because besides being a great defender, he also scores a lot of goals – and that is always nice.”
Big-game player
There is simply no better defender than Sergio Ramos on a night when Real Madrid have a big game and need to deliver. The Spaniard is always up there putting out his best performance to ensure that his team don’t lose.
And more often than not, he succeeds.
Against Juventus and then Bayern Munich, Sergio Ramos did exceedingly well in the first legs but was on the wrong end of things in the second legs, respectively. However, he still managed to hold his own despite not being at his best and made sure that his team didn’t choke at the dying stages of the clash.