Real Madrid president Florentino Perez handed Spanish defender Sergio Ramos a commemorative shirt to mark his 500 official matches with the Spanish giants.

The 30-year-old defender is the twelfth player in the history of the club to reach this number of matches.

Upon conclusion of the event that took place in the board room at the Santiago Bernabéu, the captain said:

The Madrid captain says he is honoured to have represented the Whites 500 times and he insists that he will continue to work hard to bring more success to the club.

‘It is an important and special number, to play so many games is a privilege and a dream, to do it as captain is a bonus and makes it mean more to me,’ Ramos told the Real Madrid website.

‘It seems like yesterday when I came from Sevilla and was I a child, but time passes very quickly and hopefully I can play a lot more games.

‘There are several players who have played more the 500 games for Real Madrid and they are legends of the club. It is a goal and a daily challenge to continue to give my all to enjoy many more years representing this team.

‘Wearing this shirt has been one of my dreams since many years ago and I want to carry on, giving my best for as long as possible.’

Over the course of his career, Ramos has netted a total of 69 goals and has assisted a further 35 from 545 appearances in all competitions playing for the likes of Sevilla and Real Madrid.

Real Madrid will next welcome Napoli to the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Kick-off has been set for 21:45.