He won a World Cup and a European Championship with Spain but subsequently fell-out with the team-mates he celebrated those triumphs with.
Gerard Pique referred to him as a training cone and Iker Casillas, whose hand he accidentally broke during one match, also ended on bad terms with him.
He has been one of Jose Mourinho's most loyal foot soldiers and defends him to this day.
He is something of a cult figure among some Madrid fans although others argue his defence of Mourinho was better than his defending at the Santiago Bernabeu.