Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has said it is a "privilege" after he was presented with a special team jersey by club president Florentino Perez marking his 500th appearance for the Bernabeu club.
Ramos played the 90 minutes in the Liga leaders' 3-1 win at Osasuna on Sunday night, moving to 500 games for the club during which he has won 13 trophies including two Champions Leagues, three Ligas and two Copas del Rey. The defender has also scored 66 goals while giving 35 assists, and along the way picked up 21 red cards and 173 bookings.
?ﾟﾑﾌ✅ #Ramos500
Florentino Pérez presented @SergioRamos with a special shirt to mark his 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th appearance.? https://t.co/Dmv8BP4mcl pic.twitter.com/tuZlmQQbcq
- Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) February 13, 2017
"It is an important and special number, to play so many games is a privilege and a dream, to do it as captain is a bonus and makes it mean more to me," Ramos told Madrid's official site. "It seems like yesterday when I came from Sevilla and was I a child, but time passes very quickly and hopefully I can play a lot more games."
Ramos is now 12th on the all-time Madrid appearances list, closing in on former teammates Roberto Carlos who is 11th on 527 and Guti who is 10th with 542, with quite a way to go to catch Raul Gonzalez who heads the list with 741 games.
"There are several players who have played more the 500 games for Real Madrid and they are legends of the club," the Spain international said. "It is a goal and a daily challenge to continue to give my all to enjoy many more years representing this team. Wearing this shirt has been one of my dreams since many years ago and I want to carry on, giving my best for as long as possible."
Ramos then held a live social media session with fans around the world, where he said that his favourite goal for the club had been the 93rd-minute equaliser against Atletico Madrid on the way to the club's Decima Champions League victory in 2014.
"I've scored the odd good one at particular times and been on target in the odd final, but they're all special to me," Ramos said. "Just like Ronaldo once said, goals are like your own children, you never know which one you'd pick. That said, the La Decima goal stands out above the rest, given how long we'd been waiting to win the Champions League, with it coming in the last minute and because it helped us to go on and become champions."
Ramos then joked that he could well change his shirt number to mark the minute at which that Champions League final goal in Lisbon had gone in.
"Believe me when I say that the thought has crossed my mind, but at the same time, the number four is one that I've always liked and that I've worn throughout all of my time at Real Madrid," he said. "It has nearly always brought me good luck, but don't rule out seeing me change my number in my final season, as a tribute to what is such a great minute for us."