Nationality: Welsh
Age: 23
Position: Central Midfield
Squad no. 16
Height: 5ft 10
Interesting Fact: As a youngster, Ramsey was a talented Rugby player. He played as a winger and was approached by Rugby League side St Helens RLFC before he opted for football and joined Cardiff City.
Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal’s hero. He’s Welsh, 23, and joined the club as a promising teenager way back when, whilst wonderfully snubbing Manchester United in the process. His career started bright, before going pitch black. At only 19, he was on the wrong end of a challenge that saw his leg break in two places keeping him on the sidelines for the entire year. Which was then further followed by a lengthy, painful to watch, rehabilitation process, as he went out on loan, and again, until he was deemed fit enough to take to the the Emirates Crowd once more. And they weren’t all that nice, the season after his comeback was often toxic, and it was the young Welshmen who took the brunt of the criticism. They were dark times. But then came the good times, and the following season, Ramsey quickly became Arsenal’s brightest light. He’s now one of the best players in Europe, having greatly matured and added composure to his game. He never stops running, his energy levels are remarkable, he attacks, he defends, and all with the same passion and the majority of Arsenal’s goals now come from the wonder Welshmen. If he doesn’t score, he assists. Aaron Ramsey, the boy who would never make it, ended Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought in May, and he did it, no less, in typical Ramsey fashion; starting the move from deep, only to run in the box and expertly dispatch it. He’s the new Lampard. He’ll be better Lampard. And he’s Arsenal’s new talisman.
How much will he play?
Hopefully, forever. Considering his rapid rise to super star status, club hero, legend, trophy-tag destroyer, he’ll play some games. The difficulty for Arsenal, and Arsene, is fighting the urge to play him in every single game, because let’s face it, Arsenal are a damn sight better with Ramsey, than without him, and it’s nice to be able to say that we lost the league because of his three month absence. Really, we did. We missed him. Without Ramsey there’s a massive hole where all the goals and assists come from, and when he’s not there, neither are they. It’s up to Arsene to monitor Ramsey, and use him intelligently. We don’t want to be fielding Ramsey in Carling Cup games or QPR when we’re 2-0 down before halftime. Ramsey shouldn’t be relied upon in those games. Overuse him and he’ll pick up an injury, and Arsenal will collapse. But our Superman will be partying with the big games, there’s no debate that when it comes to Arsenal’s strongest side, their crucial games, Ramsey is undoubtedly the very first name on the team sheet.
How well will he do?
Ramsey produced a career best last season announcing his enormous talent on the world stage. He was pivotal to Arsenal’s early dominance in the Premier League. It was his injury that sparked the decline in League form, and it wasn’t until he returned that silverware success returned to the club, inevitably due to a late Ramsey winner. He’ll have to dig in to achieve, or surpass, his feats from last season, but the early signs are good. He scored the crucial late winner in the opening game, earning Arsenal yet another precious three points. He is the player who makes the runs, and gets in the box, much in the same way Lampard became famous for, and is priceless for this Arsenal team. If he can stay fit for the whole season then there’s every reason to suggest that Ramsey will improve upon his quite exquisite displays last season, and if he does that, then there’s a really exciting season ahead for Arsenal fans. I think he’ll hit 20 goals this season, and a wealth of assists, if he avoids disrupting injuries. This year, Ramsey can cement himself as one of the best.
Read: Report cards for the whole Arsenal squad
Finishing: 9/10
Stamina: 10/10
Vision: 9/10
Passing: 9/10
Dribbling: 8/10
Current Value: £35million
Potential Value: £60million
Overall Rating: 9/10