RAMIRES was adored by Chelsea fans for his running ability and combative midfield play.
He left in 2016 after a trophy-laden spell with the Blues. Here’s what we know about what he’s been up to since leaving Chelsea.
Ramires won five trophies during his five and a half seasons at Chelsea
Who is Ramires?
Ramires is a Brazilian former professional footballer who was born in Rio de Janeiro on March 24, 1987.
He played as a midfielder.
He is best known for his time at Chelsea, and was with the West London club from 2010 and 2016.
He signed for the Blues from Portuguese side Benfica for around £17million ahead of the 2010/11 season.
He scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 win at Bolton in January 2011, with a side footed finish past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
He scored his second goal that season with a brilliant solo run to round off a 2-0 win against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
That strike was awarded Chelsea goal of the season at the club’s end of season awards.
The 2011/12 season saw Ramires’ influence on the team shine through, scoring 12 times in all competitions.
Ramires scored in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham in a 5-1 win at Wembley in April 2012.
He then set up a vital goal for Didier Drogba to help the Blues take a 1-0 lead in the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.
The second leg saw a remarkable comeback from the London club.
Trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men, Frank Lampard found Ramires in a pocket of space in a rare attack.
The Brazilian ran on to the ball and deftly chipped it over the oncoming Victor Valdes to put Chelsea ahead on away goals.
This goal gave him his second consecutive goal of the season award at the club.
However, Ramires was booked during the game at the Camp Nou and missed the Champions League final in Munich, which Chelsea won on penalties against Bayern Munich.
Ramires scored the opening goal of the 2012 FA Cup final against Liverpool, slotting past Pepe Reina in a 2-1 win which gave Chelsea their seventh title in the competition.
The 2012/13 season brought further success, with a 2-1 win against Benfica in the Europa League final.
Ramires won a late corner which led to Branislav Ivanovic’s headed winner in the dying embers of the game.
Ramires was a regular the following season under Jose Mourinho, as the team became title contenders again and reached the Champions League semi final.
Ramires won the Premier League in 2014/15, meaning he had scooped every major domestic trophy in his time at Chelsea.
The following season saw Ramires sign a five year contract with the club, but after the departure of Mourinho and a lack of playing time, the Brazilian ended his time in London.
He made 251 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 34 times.
He won the Premier League, the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Ramires played 54 times for his country, scoring four times.
Unfortunately he failed to win the World Cup , as Brazil finished fourth in 2014.
However he did win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009.
What happened to Ramires?
Ramires signed for Jiangsu Suning in January 2016 for a reported fee of £25million.
He made 60 appearances for the Chinese club, but was released in 2019.
He then signed for Palmeiras in his native Brazil on a free transfer.
He mutually agreed to terminate his deal in November 2020.
After spending almost two years without a club, Ramires retired from football in 2022.
Where is Ramires now?
Not a lot is known about what Ramires has been doing since retiring from football, but he remains active on social media, posting videos and pictures from his illustrious career on his Instagram account.
He appeared in a post from May 2022 looking unrecognisable from his playing days, with a goatee beard and longer hair.
Ramires married Islana Fabrícia Rosa do Nascimento in 2011. They are believed to have two children.