Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has revealed that teammate Bukayo Saka was a “great help” in getting him settled at the club. The 23-year-old joined from Sheffield United last summer for roughly £25million and has been in great form since his arrival.
Saves in games such as the Leicester City clash, where he had to stretch every sinew to deny James Maddison from a free-kick, have helped put the Gunners in the driving seat for a top-four finish this season. Such has been his form, Ramsdale received an England national team call-up as well as his debut earlier this season.
Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for the shot-stopper after the reverse fixture in March. This was something that Mikel Arteta thanked him for after the game: “Thanks to Brendan for thinking that way. Aaron [Ramsdale] has to take those words to give him confidence. I've always said he's been exceptional since the day we signed him.”
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It outlines just how well he has adjusted to the team, coming into a side like Arsenal and taking that number one shirt just months after he was relegated with Sheffield United. The 12 clean sheets in 24 Premier League appearances have spoken for themselves, but a recent hip injury has kept him out while Bernd Leno steps in.
One big reason for that could be Arsenal and Three Lions teammate Saka, who Ramsdale reveals was a big reason for him settling in well. Speaking to McDonald’s at their Fun Football grassroots event, the goalkeeper said: “With the Arsenal lads in the England squad, it helped me settle in quickly. Similarly, that also helped the other lads when they came on to the England side like when Emile Smith-Rowe made his debut. We look out for each other.
“It’s quite natural for all of us off the pitch and we really get on. Bukayo Saka was the first person to greet me when I came to Arsenal so having him in the squad was a great help.”
Saka may be an unlikely person to do this at first, given how young he is and the fact that just weeks before he endured the heartache of a loss in the final of Euro 2020 with England. His missed penalty confirmed the result, but it’s clear that the mistake doesn’t define him.
Perhaps, in years to come, the 20-year-old can become a real leadership figure for the club, already displaying that side to him with performances on the pitch and actions off of it.
To give your child their grassroots debut and for the latest information about McDonald’s Fun Football sessions which provide free football for children aged 5-11, visit McDonalds.com/Football and follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.
