Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos has said Sergio Ramos deserves to be given a place in Spain's Olympic squad if he wants it.
The Real Madrid and Spain captain, Ramos is considering playing for Spain at the 2020 Summer Olympics that will take place in Tokyo, according to his brother and agent, Rene Ramos.
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Ceballos, who has impressed while on loan at Arsenal from Real Madrid this season, started in Spain's 1-1 draw at Sweden that sealed La Roja's qualification to Euro 2020 and told Cadena Ser radio: "I think that if anyone deserves to be at the Olympic Games, it is Sergio Ramos. I think he has achieved more than enough to be at the Olympics."
Players must be under 23 years old to compete at the Olympics, with national teams only allowed to include up to three players over 23.
Ceballos, who won the European Under-21 Championship with Spain earlier this year and turns 24 on Aug. 7, would compete for one of those three spots with Ramos.
"That [Ramos' inclusion] could mean that there are teammates that could be left out, even me, but Sergio is our captain and our reference," Ceballos said. "If he [Sergio] wanted to play at the Olympics, I believe the players just as the current coach [Luis de la Fuente] and the Federation would look upon it favourably. If there's anyone who deserves it, it's him."
Pressed about whether he would give his place to Ramos, he added: "No, obviously I want to be [in the Olympics]. The Federation knows my decision. I talked to them even before the [U21] European Championship. I wanted to be part of the Olympic Games if we qualified. We qualified, we were champions [of the Under 21 Europan Championship] and I would like to be there.
Ramos made his 168th appearance for Spain in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Norway, setting a new record for his country that was previously held by Iker Casillas.
Ramos, 33, a 2010 World Cup winner and two-time European champion, has never played at an Olympics.
"For me it's an honour that a player of his calibre, of his track record, is willing to be open to play for Spain's Olympic team for the Games," Spain U21 coach De la Fuente told Cadena Ser radio. "I'm going to try to take to the Olympics the best players available at the time. Sergio Ramos has the same options as the rest of going to the Games."
Spain won gold at the 1992 Olympics they hosted, a team that included former Barcelona stars and coaches, Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola.
The country did not qualify for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.