Open, charismatic and a record-breaker, Valdet Rama is still going strong at the age of 35 in Germany.
Now with Wuppertaler SV in Germany's lower leagues, Rama is passing on the experience of over 20 years in the game to the next generation. A game which has taken the Albania international around the world, from Germany, to Sweden, Spain and even China. And it's been an experience, as he looks back, he's truly valued.
Rama told Tribalfootball.com: “Yes for me they've been very good experiences because I played in different countries like in Germany, afterwards in Sweden, Spain, again in Germany, in China. I think every experience has been worthy because in every place due to the different ideas that people have regarding football you can learn new things.
"I am very happy with all the teams that I have played for, most of them were good experiences. But of course maybe some of them were not so good due to the fact that my family was away from me. But in the end I don't have any regrets about it."
A veteran of the Bundesliga and Allsvensken, Rama made history in Spain when he signed for Real Valladolid in January 2013. The midfielder became the first player to play in LaLiga and later would also become the first to score in Spain's elite competition. '
“Yes for me it's very special and I am honoured to be the first Albanian player to play in Spain in LaLiga and to score a goal there," smiled Rama. "To be honest I didn't know about it, but during my experience there I learned this detail and it is something that will be always in my mind and heart.
"I am very happy about it."
Rama spent two seasons with Valladolid, during which he came up against Barcelona great Lionel Messi. Again, like the LaLiga record, the experience of facing the Argentine is something Rama will never forget.
He continued: “Regarding the most difficult opponent I have played against I would choose Lionel Messi.
"When he had the ball it was another thing, another type of football. Every time he had the ball, he would make the difference, he would create something.
"For me he is the best player in the history of football."
During his time in Germany, Rama played for the likes of Ingolstadt, Wolfsburg, Hannover and 1860 Munich. Indeed, he's spent so long in Germany that he now has a German passport.
“I had the chance to be trained by very good coaches (in Germany) and some well known coaches," he recalls.
"Of course for us players the best coaches are the coaches who let you play the most! I did have the chance to play under Felix Magath. But if I had to choose a favourite, that would be Thorsten Fink at Ingolstadt, he helped me a lot and from there it started everything for me in my professional career."
Regarding big name coaches, Rama admits one of his career regrets is not being able to work more with one particular name.
He added, “The only regret I have is when I went to Hannover due to the coach who was were there in that period - Dieter Hecking.
"He didn't stay too much longer as he was soon fired. During his time in charge for 5-6 matches I played five times and he was a coach who helped me a lot.
"After his firing, my adventure with this team didn't go well, and in my opinion if Hecking had stayed my time with Hannover would have gone well. I worked very hard to achieve my dream to play in the Bundesliga.
"But after Hannover I decided to go and play in Sweden."
In Sweden, Rama would spend time with Orebro before landing that move to Valladolid. It was in Spain that Rama, who's family fled to Germany from Kosovo when he was nine years of age, declared himself for Albania. Immediately he received a call from then Albania coach Gianni de Biasi, "I learned a lot from him. He made my dreams come true". A decade on and Rama has watched with great interest the change of coach as Albania appoint a Brazilian - Sylvinho - for the first time.
"I hope he will bring positive things at our national team and I wish for him everyone all the best," says Rama. "I really hope we can qualify for the Euro 2024.
"I am positive about it because when a new coach comes in it changes the atmosphere of the team.
"I think he will implement new strategies and philosophies. Another change we will see is the formation, I think we will play with a different kind of formation than before."
For Rama, after a career of globetrotting, "new strategies and philosophies", is something that comes natural. And you can bet the veteran of Wuppertaler SV will be watching closely as Albania's current generation adjust to another major change in his nation's football.
