Raul netted a brace in Madrid's 4-0 Primera Liga win over Sporting Gijon but it was his first which earned him a place in club folklore as he replaced the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano as the Spanish giants' most prolific scorer.

The 31-year-old Raul and Di Stefano were tied on 307 goals before the game but 15 minutes into the contest at El Molinon the record was broken as Raul slotted home Sergio Ramos' cross to put Madrid 1-0 up.

Madrid went on to record their eighth successive league win and close the gap on leaders Barcelona to 10 points, but there was only one talking point after the game.

Ramos said of Raul: "You have to praise Raul for his career. It is going to be a long time before he is surpassed.

"Raul is always on the front line of the battle, shouldering a lot of responsibility and is always in front of goal. He's a great player."

Raul's brace tonight not only saw him became Madrid's most successful marksman but it also moved him a step closer to becoming La Liga's record goalscorer.

He currently has 216 league goals, which is the same as Di Stefano in the Madrid ranks and sixth in the overall list of scorers.

Leading the pack is former Athletic Bilbao hitman Telmo Zarra with 251 goals. Current Almeria coach Hugo Sanchez, who played for three Madrid clubs in Real, Atletico and Rayo Vallecano is second with 234, Di Stefano, who also represented Espanyol in Spain, is third with 227, Cesar Rodriguez has 226 and Quini has 216.