Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has opened up on his reasons for snubbing a move to Saudi Arabia in favour of a switch back to Sevilla.
The 37-year-old became a free agent after his two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain expired at the end of last season.
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Ramos had been linked with a switch to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, which could have seen him reunite with Karim Benzema.
Instead, the centre-back has opted to sign a one-year deal with Sevilla, with the option of another, depending on objectives being met.
He returns to his boyhood club having spent eight years in their academy before two seasons in their senior side at the start of his professional career.
Ramos left to join Real Madrid in 2005, meaning it has been a total of 18 years since he left the Andalusian outfit.
A stellar career at the Santiago Bernabeu saw the defender play over 400 games for the club, scoring 72 goals.
And when Ramos touched down in Sevilla, he told reporters: “I’m looking forward to going home, it didn’t make sense to go anywhere else without going through here.
“It was a debt with my father, with my grandfather, with Sevilla and with Puerta, with many things that have meant a lot and I think it was the moment.”
Both his father and grandfather are avid fans of the club, while Puerta spent 14 years at Sevilla in the youth ranks alongside Ramos.
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The former left-back, however, tragically died at the age of 22, after suffering a cardiac arrest during Sevilla’s first LaLiga match of the 2007/08 campaign against Getafe.
He will now head to club where it all began, despite new sporting director Victor Orta having previously ruled out the move.
The ex-Leeds chief said the defender did not fit in the economic plan of the club.
Though given Sevilla’s frailties at the back, the veteran will be welcomed with open arms, and it is certainly a shrewd pieces of business by all involved.
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