Sergio Ramos extends contract with Real Madrid

Read Madrid captain Sergio Ramos puts pen to paper on his new contract alongside president Perez in the Board Room on Monday afternoon August 17.

The 29-year-old Spain defender signed a new five-year deal on Monday to keep him at the Bernabeu until 2020, said he never wanted to leave Real Madrid, despite interest from Manchester United.

"I know this renewal has taken a while but my heart and head have always been with Real Madrid so I couldn't be happier," he said in a press conference. I've never spoken about my renewal. With a contract that had two years to go, whatever the press want to say I respect but the reality is a bit different. My idea was to always be here and I always wanted to retire here if the president would allow it, and I'm thankful I have a new challenge to be the captain of this team. The priority is always Real Madrid, keeping our fans happy and winning titles. I'm being honest I never said I wanted to leave, I was quiet. I never said anything out of respect for my team-mates and the president, I never rang the office to ask for more money. I'm just very happy that I have renewed and I want to stay here for the rest of my career. At the end of the day I have been here almost my whole life. My first year was in Sevilla and the rest of my life has been here, that is sufficient motive to want to stay. There is nothing like this institution. My own happiness is the priority, in the end that was fundamental."

Asked what encouraged him to renew, he said, ''Honestly, if it was an economic decision I wouldn't have stayed. It wasn't a question of money. There were personal and professional things that I needed to organise and that is all sorted. It is reality that I wasn't happy in certain ways. I never said I wanted to leave but I spoke to the people I needed to speak to and couldn't continue how I was. Those personal things were nothing to do with money. The economic situation, the president and I solved that in five minutes. There were other things to talk about - past, present and future. Now everything is cleared up I'm excited to get everyone together and try and win. Everything is cleared up now, I'm very happy to be here."

                                                            Ramos and his family