Arsenal ace Mesut Ozil has hailed his former teammate Sergio Ramos for his goalscoring exploits ahead of the Champions League final.
Ramos’ Real Madrid are set to take on Juventus in the cup final at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium on Saturday night.
Ozil’s Gunners were knocked out of the competition in the last-16 as German giants Bayern Munich thrashed them 10-2 over both legs, who were then subsequently beaten by Madrid in the quarter finals.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ozil was keen to praise Ramos: “[Important goals are] what characterises him. He’s not one of the best central defenders in the world, or in the history of football, for no reason.
“He just wants to be successful and you see on the pitch that he never gives up, right until the last second where some players might say: ‘Oh, it’s over.’
“But his attitude [is that] he’s always there for the team and I’m pleased for him when he scores a goal and is successful.”
Ramos has been in prime goalscoring form this term, bagging 10 goals in his 43 league and cup games, including one against Napoli in the last-16 of the Champions League.
The 31-year-old centre-back is more known for his efforts in defence than for his goals, but he has amassed an impressive 68 goals in his 521 appearances in all competitions for the club.
He has also won the Champions League twice previously with Los Blancos, and he will be looking to make it a third on Saturday.
Ozil plied his trade with Real from 2010 to 2013 before making a £40million move to the Emirates.
The 28-year-old was a mainstay in the Gunners midfield this term, making 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and supplying 14 assists.