1.000 and counting for Raúl

Real Madrid legend seals landmark appearance in Qatar

Earlier today, Saturday, Raúl González Blanco faced Al Rayyan in what was the 1.000th appearance of his playing career.
Despite everything he has won, the forward's hunger remains firmly intact at Qatari club Al-Sadd, one of the biggest teams in the country.
The Qatari league title is the latest honour Raúl has added to a bulging individual trophy cabinet, headed by his wildly successful stint at Real Madrid. The striker pulled on the 'Los Blancos' shirt a total of 750 times, scoring 338 goals (323 for the first team). He followed this up with 40 goals in 98 competitive appearances for Schalke 04, whom he also fired to silverware. Now he is doing the same for Al-Sadd.
One of the people who made a big mark on Raúl's early career was Jorge Valdano, the coach who plucked him out of the Real Madrid youth set-up.
Speaking from Mexico, this is what Valdano had to say about Real's legendary number 7: "I can see that Raúl's penchant for round numbers lives on. He always goes the distance. He possesses the qualities of the best Spanish cyclists: he's reliable, responsible, dogged... I once said that his name ought to be Raúl González Blanco Always, because he is always able to keep up his competitive edge, irrespective of time or place. From the beginning of his career to the end; from Real Madrid to Qatar. There are two explanations for this hunger: it is in his nature, as a person and a footballer, and he loves football. There is no other possible explanation for it".