Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Sergio Ramos has heaped praise on teammate Marco Veratti, lauding him for being a colossal presence on the pitch.
On July 18, 2012, Paris Saint-Germain signed Marco Verratti from Serie B side Pescara for a mere €12 million.
Despite having no exposure to the highest echelon of European football, Verratti settled effortlessly in the French capital, gradually emerging as one of their most consistent performers.
Celebrating the Italy international's 10 years at the club, PSG prepared a special surprise for their star player. Their official media outlet shared video-recorded messages from several of Verratti's teammates, including Sergio Ramos'.
Despite playing only a handful of games alongside the Italian midfielder, Ramos could easily measure his impact.
In his recorded message, Ramos revealed what the "world class" player brought to the table. The Spaniard said (via PSGTalk):
"Marco Verratti, on the field, is a very supportive player, very generous, who runs when his teammates can't. A decisive player who gives balance to PSG and to the Italian national team.
"He is a world class player."
Since moving to the French capital a decade ago, Verratti has featured in 378 games for the club, recording 11 goals and 60 assists. The central midfielder has so far won a whopping 28 trophies with the Parisians, including eight Ligue 1 titles, six French Cups, and six French League Cups.
Sergio Ramos will have to prove his worth to PSG in the 2022-23 season
Former Real Madrid man Sergio Ramos is one of the most accomplished players of his generation.
The four-time Champions League winner is a brilliant leader on the pitch and has a knack for producing clutch performances, both of which could greatly help Paris Saint-Germain next season.
The 36-year-old missed all but 13 games of his debut season in the French capital due to injuries and fitness issues. The onus will be on him to do right by his new employers in the 2022-23 campaign to prove that they were right to offer him a two-year deal last summer.
Ramos has started the pre-season in style, scoring a nice penalty in their 0-2 win over Quevilly. Paris Saint-Germain will undoubtedly be eager to see him carry that form and fitness into competitive fixtures from August.