The 5 greatest players in Real Madrid history

4. Raul

If Di Stefano was the king of yesteryear at Real Madrid, Raul Gonzalez Blanco became his modern-day incumbent and the man who overtook him in the goalscoring charts, ending his time at the club on 323 goals.

When the legendary Spain striker reached that milestone seven years ago, it was likely he would never be beaten. The most remarkable thing about Raul’s career is he achieved so much while not possessing the ability of some of his teammates at the Santiago Bernabeu, he relied more upon his desire and hard work.

Despite growing up as an Atletico Madrid fan and starting his footballing life in their youth system before it was disbanded, Raul became vital at Real Madrid on and off the pitch.

In a confusing time for the club under Florentino Perez, when the club’s identity was less than clear, Raul was something of a surrogate captain and board member, championing respect in victory and hard work. At that time, there was a disturbing air of arrogance sweeping the club and Raul stopped that straying too far.

In parallel to Di Stefano, Raul was an example to teammates and future players in how to behave and perform at Real Madrid. Ironically, on the international stage it didn’t work out despite becoming Spain’s all time top goalscorer, with their most successful era playing out after their legend had retired.

There is absolutely no doubting his place on this list.