When Aaron Ramsdale got signed by Arsenal last summer, almost everybody was saying it was bound
to be the worst signing of the season. This guy had been relegated with his 2 previous clubs,
his curse would find a way to drag Arsenal down, they said.
But since Aaron joined the North London club, he has been nothing but spectacular. So spectacular
that he has already taken Leno’s spot as first choice goalkeeper as the manager confirmed.
Of course, you know the new Arsenal goalie, and you know his story is a pretty interesting one.
But in this video, we will be telling you 10 things about Aaron Ramsdale that
you probably didn’t know. Let’s get right to it!
1. He was born into a sporty family
Aaron’s parents didn’t exactly play football growing up, but they were very involved in sports.
And surely, that really helped them support their little boy’s dreams from a very young age.
His dad, Nick Ramsdale, was a track athlete in his younger days.
He even represented Great Britain in a 400 meter hurdles event.
His mom, Caroline Ramsdale, played professional netball in her younger days.
So, they both being familiar with the difficulties and cruelty of sports, were
very well equipped to support the young boy when he picked up an interest in football as a child.
Aaron once mentioned in an interview that when he was younger,
his parents would sometimes miss work just to get him to trials.
They didn’t stop supporting even when he made it to the Premier League.
During the pandemic in 2020, his dad, Nick, motivated him to continue training. He joined
him in the goalkeeping drills and even picked up an injury in the process. Fatherly love, right?!
2. He started as early as 7
In many cases, goalkeepers start out their careers at another position before a coach
or a scout advises them to take up the number 1 position. David De Gea, Thibaut Courtois,
Joe Hart… all started from outfield positions before switching to become goalkeepers.
But not Aaron Ramsdale. As early as when he was just 7 years old,
the Arsenal man already knew he wanted to be a shot stopper. So, he started training himself
in that position and never looked back -- or should we say forward? -- since then.
3. He went to goalkeeping school
Now, what is common is that footballers enrol in a football academy at a young age.
Many times, goalkeepers enrol in all-round football academies. But
not Ramsdale. Aaron’s parents were so determined to give their little boy the best of training,
so they sent him to a goalkeeping school.
Actually, a certain man named Keith Griffiths, should be thanked by Aaron, and all Arsenal fans
even. According to Nick Ramsdale, it was Keith who advised him and his wife to register their son,
Aaron, in a goalkeeping school. Specifically the Fred Barber Goalkeeping School.
They took his advice, and surely they are happy they did because we can all
see that Aaron learned a lot from that school. The way he positions himself to
anticipate a shot, the way he sets up his wall for freekicks, the way he dives intelligently,
and even the way he distributes the ball, shows that the young man was indeed taught well.
4. He was rejected multiple times
As a teenager, Aaron spent some time in the Bolton Wanderers academy.
He got in thanks to high recommendations from Fred Barber goalkeeping school.
But after some years there, the guys at Bolton decided that he wasn’t good enough to go pro,
so he was released.
Aaron himself narrated in an interview that the academy let
him go in his mid-teens because he was too small and could not kick.
In the interview, Aaron did not even disparage them. He agreed that, at the time,
he was smaller than his peers. However, he felt like he should have been given time to grow.
He went further to talk about how tough it was for him to be released
by a club he had been with for 5 years just because of his size.
After he left Bolton, a couple other clubs rejected him, too.
It was really hard for the teenage boy, but his family was supportive all the way.
Anyway, fast forward to 2013, Aaron Ramsdale was finally accepted into Sheffield United’s academy,
and the rest, as they say, is history.
5. He has played in 4 different tiers of English football
Of course, you know that Aaron Ramsdale now plays in the Premier League, English football’s
first division. But did you know that he has also played in the second, third, and fourth divisions?
Yes, the Arsenal first choice goalkeeper has been all the way down. He played in the second tier
during his first spell with Sheffield United, just after graduating from the youth team.
Then he played in the fourth tier when he was loaned to Chesterfield in 2018.
And then played in the third tier when he was loaned to AFC Wimbledon the following year.
But he was bought back in 2020 by Sheffield United after their promotion, and that was when
he made his return to the Premier League after featuring in it with AFC Bournemouth in 2019.
And the way it looks, Aaron will never be going down again. To be fair, he has paid his dues.
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6. He believes he is the reincarnation of his grandfather
Many footballers are very superstitious, you don’t believe that? Check out this
video (attach link to superstition video). And well, Aaron Ramsdale is one of such footballers.
He takes his grandfather’s ashes with him everywhere. And even when he was being
unveiled as the new Arsenal goalkeeper, he brought his granddad’s ashes along with him.
Why does he do that? Well, simply because he believes he
is the reincarnation of his grandfather.
His granddad died just after his mom had discovered she was pregnant with him. So,
since then, that has been a belief he and the rest of his family have had.
And hey, before you dismiss this as some senseless superstition,
we think you should know that Aaron’s granddad was also a goalkeeper. So, well…
7. Guess what club he supports…
Aaron Ramsdale plays for Arsenal now, but he is not one of those players who,
once they sign with a club, come out and say they have been supporting that
club since childhood. So, no, he is not an Arsenal fan and has never claimed to be.
He also was never a supporter of any of the other clubs he played with. And if you are
still trying to guess, no, it is not one of the big clubs in England or even in Europe.
Aaron Ramsdale is a fan of West Bromwich Albion. Be surprised all you want,
but that’s facts. Maybe the lad has something for clubs with a tendency to be relegated. (jokingly)
Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. Sorry!
8. Guess what goalkeeper he looks up to…
As a young English goalkeeper, you may guess that Aaron looked up to Joe Hart growing up.
Well, if you guessed that, you are wrong.
Aaron Ramsdale has said that he has a pretty huge admiration for Watford’s number 1,
Ben Foster. The 38-year-old has played for a long list of clubs across the different
tiers in English football, including Manchester United and Birmingham City.
Well, you may ask why Ramsdale looks up to a goalkeeper who made only 8 appearances
for the England national team. But if you looked closely, you would see why.
Of the about 15 football clubs Ben Foster has played with, 2
stand out. The club with which Foster first played professional football is Stoke City,
the club of Ramsdale’s birth-town, Stoke-on-Trent.
Secondly, the club he has made the most career appearances for is West Brom, the club which
Ramsdale supported growing up. And considering that Ben Foster started playing for West Brom
when Ramsdale was only 13 years old, you bet that it was Foster the Arsenal man watched growing up.
And now, many years later, Ramsdale is playing in the same league as his
idol and will even have the opportunity to go head-to-head with him on different occasions.
What a beautiful story. Football is really the beautiful game, isn’t it?
9. One brother dirty dancing, the other in a correctional facility
Aaron has 2 siblings, Oliver and Edward. Oliver, who goes by Ollie, is a stage
performer and the brother Aaron is closer to. Ollie featured in a classic stage performance,
Dirty Dancing which was performed at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.
While Aaron and Ollie are both in the public eye, their older brother is not as much. Edward,
although very active on social media, works as a jail officer, far away from fame and celebrity.
But one thing is for sure, the boys really love each other and have a healthy bond.
When they are all around, they enjoy playing cricket together in their parents’ backyard.
10. He loves recreational shooting
On the pitch, Aaron prefers to be the one stopping the shots fired. However,
off the pitch, he is usually the one doing the shooting.
Recreational shooting activities,
like paintballing, seem to be number one on the list of his hobbies apart from football.
Just take a look at how happy he is in these pictures (attach pictures of him shooting).
Well, there you have it. 10 things about Aaron Ramsdale that you probably didn’t know. If you
liked this video, please slap a like on it. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the channel and turn
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