Chelsea icon Ramires will play in a legends match against Liverpool tomorrow – and fans have noticed that the former midfielder looks unrecognisable from his playing days at Stamford Bridge. Now 37, Ramires has returned to England and will play at Anfield this weekend.
Chelsea and Liverpool are raising money for their respective charities. Ramires will line up alongside the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Claude Makelele and Gary Cahill. But some fans did not recognise the Brazilian when his photo was shared on Chelsea’s X account.
Supporters will remember Ramires for his slight frame and his combative midfield performances. A box-to-box midfielder, he was astute at both ends of the pitch. However, in a photo shared on social media, Ramires is now slightly stockier and has grown out his hair.
Several followers questioned who it was. “Who is this genuinely????” responded @sw6bradz. @elsdawg said: “bro who is this?”
@cfcidich also had trouble recognising Ramires, asking: “Who is this?”
Plenty of others were happy to help out, pointing out that he was the midfielder perhaps best known for his stunning chip in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in 2012. Ramires spent six years at Chelsea, leaving in 2016 as part of the exodus of European players to China. Billions were being pumped into the country’s football infrastructure after president Xi Xinping said he wanted China to become a “world football superpower” by 2050.
Ramires’ goal against Barcelona helped Chelsea advance to the final, where they famously beat Bayern Munich on penalties.
He told the club’s website earlier this month: “Wherever I go, I always meet at least one Chelsea fan and always they come to me and say, ‘Oh! Your goal against Barcelona!’ I think when Chelsea fans think about the big games, they think about that one.
“We had training in the week before. We were doing some finishing and David [Luiz] came to me and said, ‘Rami, when the goalkeeper comes, you must chip the ball’. I said okay, but in training I did one or two, but the ball did not go in the goal! Then in the game, I had that opportunity.
“Frank [Lampard]’s pass was amazing, the ball arrived for the one touch and finish. He put the ball in front of me and when I arrived there I chipped the ball, but I saw [Victor] Valdes coming and Dani Alves come from the left with another defender behind, [Carles] Puyol.
“I saw Valdes coming and if I shot to the side, maybe he could do the save, so when I saw the goal behind him I thought the only way is that, and I did it. When the ball dropped, I looked and I ran and then I looked again to see if the ball goes in. That was an amazing moment for me.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk