Everyone will be aware of both Sergio Ramos’ strengths and weaknesses by now. His natural talent, versatility and tenacity are what place him amongst the top defenders in world football today. He can be erratic and undisciplined at times, but it cannot be denied that he’s been one of the best at what he does for years now.
However, the 29-year old hasn’t quite had the best of years with Real Madrid, quite possibly one of his poorest in recent memory. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued much of his campaign, while his contract dispute with Los Blancos last summer can’t have helped going into the season.
Nonetheless, he is still a world-class defender on his day and is expected to line up alongside Gerard Pique in Spain’s backline for the European Championship in France this summer. The lack of proper competition means that Ramos’ spot isn’t even going to be contested, much like his Barcelona partner, but he’d still be an unlikely absence, even if there was someone to wrestle it away from him anyways.
His quality and experience make him one of the first names on the team sheet for both Real Madrid and Spain, something which has seen him grow into the role of becoming the captain and vice-captain of both sides respectively. This has also, in turn, seen him rack up over 600 appearances for Real and the national team, which is quite an impressive feat for any player to have on his CV.
Ramos’ recovery of pace, ball-playing skills and tackling abilities make him the ideal partner for Pique in the centre of Spain’s defence. They’ve built up a great understanding and pairing over the last five years, ever since Ramos returned to playing as a centre-back and Carles Puyol’s injury problems saw him phased out of the team over time.
Spain Coach Vicente del Bosque certainly holds him in high regard, and considering that he is a man who likes to be conservative and stick to what he’s most familiar with, it’s highly unlikely that Ramos won’t be in Spain’s starting line-up in June. The only thing that could keep him out at this point is an injury, which is what has kept him out of Real’s team at times this season.
While it’s largely been a season to forget for Ramos, it could still end in Champions League glory at least. Whether it does or not though, preparing himself well and maintaining his health will be key as he looks to have a better showing at the Euros, in the hope of leading Spain towards a third consecutive win in this competition. It’s a chance to make more history and there’s no doubt that if Spain do, Sergio Ramos will have a big part to play.
