In a Galactico era that has seen the two Ronaldo’s pull on the famous white jersey of Madrid, one man who is perhaps the most adored of them all is the legendary Raul, the Spaniard enjoying a stellar 16-year career at the Bernabeu.
A product of rivals Atletico Madrid’s youth academy, the striker deflected as a teenager and made his debut in 1994, going on to make a club-record 741 appearances for the club, as well as netting 323 goals in all competitions for the La Liga side, a record only bettered by the relentless Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2015.
As the mainstay in a side littered with mercurial talent, the Spain international helped Los Blancos to six league titles and three Champions League’s, while he also captained the club in his final seven years in the Spanish capital, before departing for Bundesliga side Schalke in 2010.
While injuries played a part in curtailing his time in Madrid, at his peak he was a ruthless and prolific marksman, netting 228 La Liga goals, becoming the fifth-highest goalscorer in the competition’s history.
He went on to net a respectable 28 league goals in his two-year spell in Germany, although it was in Spain where he was no doubt at his best, where he developed his signature move of the delightful chipped finish.
The sight of the forward dinking the ball over an onrushing goalkeeper was a real joy to behold, as you can see below in a collection of his greatest chipped efforts for Madrid:
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