Aaron Ramsdale wants to become “a real hero and a legend” at Arsenal, with the highly-rated goalkeeper hoping to spend 15 years with the Gunners.
The 24-year-old England international moved to Emirates Stadium from Sheffield United for £30 million ($36m) in the summer of 2021. He quickly set about making the No.1 spot in Mikel Arteta’s plans his own and has impressed enough in the current campaign – which has Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title – to be named Goalkeeper of the Year at the London Football Awards. Ramsdale hopes there will be many more honours to come during his time in north London, with there a desire on his part to see out the remainder of his career with the Gunners.
Ramsdale has told BBC Sport London: “It was a difficult period moving club to club, even before that going on loan, I never imagined leaving Bournemouth after a year, I never imagined leaving Sheffield United after a year. But this is a place now where I can see myself for 10, 12, 15 years. That’s the aim, that’s the goal, that’s the aim to stay at the top for that amount of time. Hopefully, I’ll never have to leave and I’ll become a real hero and legend at this football club.”
Ramsdale has been enjoying his football under Arteta, a coach that has always had complete trust in him, with the charismatic keeper saying of his Spanish boss: “From the first phone call, from the first day he said be yourself, you don’t need to be anybody who hides behind an image, or to shy away from speaking up in changing rooms. The first day I came in, thankfully I knew a few of the boys from previous clubs or England, so I was able to come in and joke straight away and people can see my character. It definitely allowed me to express myself on the pitch from the first game.”