Sergio Ramos (2005-present)
© Reuters
Bestowed with the captain's armband following the departure of Iker Casillas in 2015, Sergio Ramos has established himself as one of the best defenders of his generation with a handy knack for helping out at the other end too.
Arguably the pre-eminent big-game player in the world - certainly from a defensive position - Ramos has scored six goals in European club semi-finals and finals during his career, including twice netting in the final of the Champions League.
At times, the Spain skipper can be as big a liability as he is an asset - as his unparalleled record of 24 red cards proves - but few teams would turn down the opportunity to have the wily and streetwise 32-year-old in their squad.
At the time of writing, Ramos has made 565 appearances for Madrid, placing him eighth on the all-time list, while he has scored a whopping 73 goals from defence for the club across all competitions too.
During that time Ramos has won four Champions League titles - captaining the team for each in the ongoing run of three in a row - in addition to four La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, thee FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and three Spanish Super Cups.
