Aaron Ramsdale has spoken of his pride after signing a contract extension to commit his long-term future to Arsenal.
The England international only joined from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021, but has gone on to establish himself firmly as the Gunners' No.1. He had two years remaining on his current contract, but Arsenal were keen to move proactively and provide him with a salary more befitting his role at the club.
He has been rewarded for that fine form with a new deal that is set to last until 2026 with the option to extend by a further year. After signing the fresh terms, the 25-year-old expressed his delight at the news.
READ MORE: Arsenal announce new Aaron Ramsdale contract extension following impressive campaign
"It’s a huge amount of pride," he told Arsenal.com. "It's something you work for. It doesn't matter if you've been at the club for a month or for four years, you always want to get the next one and push on with the team.
"To get it after two years, I'm buzzing. It just means I can concentrate and keep my head down, and hopefully after a few more years I'll get another one and carry on living the dream at the football club."
Ramsdale's arrival was not exactly the most popular one when it happened in 2021. The England goalkeeper had to turn off his Instagram comments after receiving abusive messages from sections of the fanbase who were unhappy with his signing. After that, though, the 25-year-old quickly dislodged Bernd Leno as Arsenal's first choice keeper, before establishing himself as a firm fan favourite at the Emirates.
"Deep down I knew that there was a lot of negativity around," he admitted when asked about his tough start. "I also knew that no-one had probably actually watched me other than the three or four games I played against Arsenal.
"I was just ready to get on with it, really ready to just show what I can do. It was a great fight between me and Bernd last year and that's what you need as keepers - you need the competition.
"When I played in my debut against West Brom, that negativity went away because the fans knew to give me the chance and to give me the backing, which I needed. The fans that night were amazing for me; they sang my name and I was ready then to just kick on.
"As soon as you put that Arsenal shirt on, they'll give you every chance to try and perform. I knew I could win them over at some point - and thankfully I did that quite early really."
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