Real Madrid star Kroos: Ramos is the best captain a player can have

Toni Kroos has praised the leadership qualities of Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, saying he is the best captain any player could have. 

Ramos has established himself as a modern-day legend of Madrid as he gets set to begin his 16th season with the club.

Since joining Madrid from Sevilla in 2005, Ramos has amassed an impressive collection of trophies with the Spanish giants. 

The veteran defender has won the Champions League four times, the Copa del Rey twice and La Liga on five occasions, including last season. 

Speaking about the Blancos captain on Einfach Mal Luppen, a podcast Kroos hosts with his brother, the midfielder said that his side are lucky to have a captain like Ramos.

"When Ramos has an opinion, he expresses it for the good of the team, without any reservations. And that was unlike anything I had ever seen before. So if we talk about captains, in my opinion, he is the best you can have,” Kroos explained.

The German is embarking on his seventh season with Madrid and as he takes on more of a leadership role with the Spanish champions, he believes that watching Ramos has helped set an example for him.

“I’m more than happy to have Sergio as my captain. I learned a lot from him and he learned a lot from me, I have to admit. He is someone who implements everything incredibly well and he’s someone who is listened to in the club by everyone. Sergio leads by example.”

Kroos made 43 appearances across all competitions for Madrid last term, taking his overall tally to 278 since joining the club from Bayern Munich in 2014.

Despite a disappointing Champions League exit to Manchester City last season, Kroos said earlier this month that there is nobody he'd rather have leading his team than current head coach Zinedine Zidane.

"He knows exactly what makes them tick and what it's like to be a Real Madrid player. He applies this knowledge superbly," Kroos  told Swiss publication Blick.

"He's incredibly good at managing this group of stars. He meets every player at eye level, brings everyone on board and has everything around Real under control. 

"And he is also very good technically. He's the best coach you could ask for."