Răzvan Dincă Raț (; born 26 May 1981) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He made a name for himself in Romania at Rapid București, with which he won two national titles, one national cup and one supercup between 1998 and 2003. The latter year, Raț moved to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine, collecting 15 domestic trophies and one UEFA Cup over the course of ten seasons. In 2009, he came second in voting for the Romanian Footballer of the Year award. He also represented West Ham United, Rayo Vallecano, PAOK and ACS Poli Timișoara before retiring in 2018. Raț made his full debut for the Romania national team in 2002. He participated with the country in two UEFA European Championship and was appointed captain in September 2011. Raț is the fourth-most capped Romanian international of all time, earning his 100th match in October 2014. Club career Early career Born in Piatra-Olt, Raț began his football career when he joined the local team Rapid Piatra-Olt aged seven in a team trained by his father. In the summer of 1994, Raț went on a trial with Universitatea Craiova. He impressed coach Anghel Mităchescu and joined the club's youth system at age 13. When Mităchescu found out that he was going to be released from his duties by club president Rodion Cămătaru, he transferred the entire junior squad at the Divizia B side Constructorul Craiova. Raț's career for Constructorul, however, ended shortly after due to the club's financial problems, in 1995. In the winter of that year, Raț was noticed by Tudorel Stoica, who attended a futsall tournament held in Balș. Stoica wanted Raț to join Steaua București's youth system. Despite both Stoica and youth coach Bujor Hălmăgean being impressed by the young player, Raț never joined Steaua because according to his father, the club refused to pay the youth, Raț being forced to support himself in Bucharest. Taking advice from his former coach Mităchescu, Raț joined Sporting Pitești, the team trained by former international player Nicolae Dobrin. In his first match, Raț was substituted for the last 10–15 minutes of the game after he had scored five or six goals. On 2 September 1996, after being noticed by Silviu Stănescu, Raț joined Divizia B side Cetatea Târgu Neamț. Despite being only 15 years old, Raț trained with the senior squad. On 19 November, the arrest of Cetatea's