He is the soul of the team, and it's difficult to imagine the club without him, says Raul of rival captain Steven Gerrard, the man he will meet in the centre circle before kick-off on Tuesday night. The Real Madrid No 7 could easily be talking about himself.
A one-club player, a one-man football Guinness Book of Records, Raul is enjoying something of a mini-revival this season with 14 goals in 25 games.
But while he has rediscovered the knack of swatting La Liga lightweights, Raul has been missing in action against quality opposition.