Sergio Ramos: 9 Facts About the Real Madrid Stalwart After 14 Years With Los Blancos

Longevity in football is a precious commodity.

Few players are able to not only play at the highest level for such a extended period of time. Moreover, few are capable of asserting themselves as one of the world's finest for the same club.

September 8, 2019, marks the 14th anniversary of Sergio Ramos' time with Real Madrid, an almighty feat that should be appreciated and revered as both special and distinctive, whatever your opinion of the man may be.

Therefore, to herald this achievement, here are nine facts on the Spanish stalwart as he enters his 15th season as a Madridista.

He Has Received More Red Cards Than Anyone in La Liga History

Let's start with a positive one, shall we?

One of football's hotheads, the 33-year-old has amassed no less than 24 red cards during his time in Spain's top-flight. With 14 full seasons under his belt, you don't need to be a mathematician to work out he gets sent off more than once every season on average.

But why stop there? Ramos has now become the most sent-off player in the history of Europe's top five leagues, an accolade worth cherishing when he looks back on his career after retirement, for sure.

Speaking of Cards...

A title he still have chance to pinch off Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edgar Davids, the most red cards in Champions League history goes to the aforementioned duo on four, although on yellow cards in the tournament he brushes aside the competition.

His 40 yellow cards (including one that resulted in a sending off) mean he is the most yellow carded player in the history of Europe's elite competition. Only one red card stands between him and joining level on the most ever received in the Champions League, and few would bet against him reaching that milestone.

Joint Most Champions League Own Goals

I promise we'll get onto the good stuff soon. The Spaniard is one of 21 players in the competition who have netted twice against their own side, joining fellow Madrid defender Ivan Helguera on that list.

Another one to surpass in the future?

He's On Course to Be Spain's Most Capped Player Ever

Sitting just one appearance behind legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Ramos will match his fellow countryman's 167 caps if he takes on the Faroe Islands as expected on Sunday evening.

The incredible feat will then be broken in October, as La Roja travel to Norway for the seventh matchday of their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, a remarkable achievement for the former Sevilla defender.

He's in the Top Ten Goalscorers for His Country

Ramos' penalty against Romania on Thursday put him among prestigious company in the Spanish goalscoring charts, an impeccable feat considering the only other defender to feature on the list is Fernando Hierro.

Penalties are just one of the many strings on Ramos' seemingly never-ending bow, with seven successful spot kicks for his country, while another 12 have followed in La Liga outings for Los Blancos.

Youngest Ever European to Reach 100 Caps

While he is set to smash records for the national team in the coming months, the central defender was already breaking them years before.

In 2013, Ramos earned his 100th cap for Spain, in turn making him the youngest player ever to reach that milestone. It came against Finland during a 2014 World Cup qualifier in Gijon, a match in which he scored to secure a 1-1 draw.

While that record is impressive, what is more impressive is the fact he not only became the youngest Spaniard to reach that figure, but the youngest European to do so as well. Lukas Podolski previously held the crown, but Ramos blew the German out of the water, doing so just shy of his 27th birthday.

La Liga Royalty

Listing each individual statistic Ramos has accrued in La Liga would require endless bullet-points, such has been his countless successes in Spain's top-flight.

Alongside Lionel Messi and Aritz Aduriz, Ramos is the only player to score in 15 consecutive La Liga seasons. His first season was with Sevilla, and while not off the mark yet this campaign, few wouldn't back him making it 16. 

Naturally, such goalscoring talent coupled with defensive masterclasses reaps rewards, and Ramos is no different. His fine showings for Madrid have warranted him being named La Liga's best defender on five occasions, the most by any defender in the league's history.

UEFA Team of The Year Record Breaker

His supreme talent has been recognised outside of La Liga and for the national team too, with no less than eight UEFA Team of the Year nods - a record total for a defender. He was also listed in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2012, which Spain won be beating Italy in the final 4-0.

Coupled with nods from UEFA, Ramos has been named in the FIFPro World XI nine times, while also being named in the Champions League Squad of the Season on four separate occasions.

Trophies Are in Abundance

As is expected, all this success on a personal level naturally results in a shedload of silverware for both club and country.

At Madrid alone, Ramos has accumulated 20 major honours including four La Liga crowns and four UEFA Champions League titles. Those European triumphs have come in record-breaking fashion as well, with Los Blancos being the only club ever to secure the trophy on three consecutive occasions between 2015-2018.

With Spain equal measures of success have followed. Starting at right-back in the 2010 World Cup final, La Roja claimed their first-ever title in the competition with an extra-time strike from Andres Iniesta securing a narrow 1-0 success. Victory in South Africa that year came 24 months after Spain had won the European Championships, and two years before they claimed that crown again at the 2012 edition in Ukraine and Poland.

Needless to say, Ramos has enjoyed a glittering career.