For years he has been one of the most inspirational and fearsome leaders in the world of football.
Whether you love him or hate him, it is undeniable that the sight of a snarling, domineering Sergio Ramos at the heart of the Real Madrid defence has been one of the iconic sights of recent times.
Yet after 671 appearances over 16 glorious seasons at the Bernabeu in which he has won everything it is possible to win multiple times, it is increasingly likely that Ramos' time with Los Blancos will come to an anti-climactic end when his contract expires at the end of this month.
And sadly it seems as though he will leave with some bitterness, his relationship with controversial Madrid president Florentino Perez appearing to have completely collapsed.
So how did it come to this?
The cracks begin to show
The 2019-20 campaign was a successful one for Spain's most-capped player and the 13-time kings of Europe.
The team won only their second La Liga title in eight years after they finished five points ahead of bitter rivals Barcelona, and Ramos enjoyed his most prolific campaign ever after scoring 13 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.
He certainly did not look like a player who would be going anywhere anytime soon, and despite only having a year left on his contract there did not appear to be any panic over his future from either himself or the club.
Ramos enjoyed a fine start to the 2020-21 season, and netted his 100th goal for the club in a 3-2 win against Inter Milan in the Champions League in November - a remarkable feat for a defender.
When asked about his future in December then-manager Zinedine Zidane said: "He is looking well, because he is convinced that he will continue and that is the most important thing.
"I see him playing football for many years because he is someone who takes great care of himself. If you want to continue and take care of yourself, you have a great chance of continuing for a long time and I'm not surprised by what he does."
However, the longer it went with no contract news the more the speculation began to grow, and things were not helped when Ramos was forced into mid-season surgery in January after tearing a meniscus in his left knee.
It was the first time in his career he had suffered such a serious injury, and may have been part of the reason Perez was so hesitant to offer a new deal, perhaps feeling that the signs were telling him it was time to part company with Ramos.
Further disruption
Ramos returned to action in March, but it was not long until he suffered more disruption to his season as he suffered further injury woe to rule him out of the crucial El Clasico clash in April as well as the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.
That same month he provided a somewhat telling answer to a question about his future which appeared to be directed towards Perez.
"I have earned the right to make whatever decision I want," he snapped. “I will perform at the highest level. If not, I stay at home. If not, it wouldn’t be worth it. That I’m fine with my age is no accident.”
Unfortunately Ramos' fitness problems persisted, and after featuring in the Champions League defeat to Chelsea he was ruled out for the rest of the season, with his 21 total appearances making it by far his least productive season at Madrid.
Perez's position
In words which echoed his feelings towards the European Super League, Perez has repeatedly suggested Madrid would find it difficult to extend Ramos' contract due to their supposed dire financial situation.
Ramos is believed to earn an eye-watering £312,000-per-week, making him the top earner at the club.
And Perez said last month: "We're in a very tough situation where no one has the money anymore.
"We've got to be realistic. I've never said that he won't stay. At the moment we're completing this season and after that we can see about next year."
Yet his words do not appear to add up when you consider Madrid have only recently completed the signing of David Alaba.
The 28-year-old German may have arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, but the Spanish side are paying over £400k-a-week for the pleasure of snapping him up - hardly the wages that a club with "no money" would be able to afford.
The fact that Alaba is left footed and, like Ramos, wants to play on the left side of a centre-back duo also cannot be ignored, and it is looking increasingly likely that he is a younger, fitter replacement for the ageing Ramos.
Luka Modric, who is the same age as Ramos, also recently accepted a contract extension with little drama, and it looks as though Perez is simply willing to accept the departure of Ramos in the not-too-distant future.
Where could Sergio Ramos go next? Have your say in the comments below
The player himself has clearly not taken this well, and is said to be furious with the way the club is being run at the moment.
A report from El Transistor states that Ramos has recently phoned all his teammates to urge them not to accept any pay cuts which may be offered by Perez in the coming weeks as he attempts to get the financial situation under control.
And with Ramos left out of a photo shoot for Madrid's new Adidas kit this week, it appears the writing is on the wall for his future.
What happens now?
With Ramos left out of the Spain squad to go to the Euros, he will have plenty of time over the coming month to sit and ponder his future.
The likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United have been linked in the past, while the most recent rumour is that Manchester City could be lining up a shock two-year contract, although the thought of him linking up with previous bitter rival Pep Guardiola seems fanciful.
Whatever the case, it is sad to think that Ramos will not have the opportunity to say farewell to a packed Bernabeu, and the whole situation leaves something of a bitter taste in the mouth.
The fact that Ramos' previous boss Carlo Ancelotti has returned has led some to suggest there could be a dramatic U-turn in the situation.
But the likelihood is that it is too little too late, and having worked with Alaba in the past Ancelotti will most probably be happy to go along with the club's wishes.
The whole situation is another demonstration of the ruthless and often chaotic nature of Perez's running of Madrid, and the way that he has discarded a genuine Madrid legend will not go down well among supporters.
Whoever manages to sign Ramos this summer, however, will be getting a player who can be guaranteed to give it 100 percent until his body tells him to stop.
And if Madrid arrive at a moment next season where they need some strong leadership, they may well regret letting their notorious No.4 go.
