Mikel Arteta has revealed that he brought Aaron Ramsdale to Arsenal because of his ability to remain composed under pressure.
The 23-year-old stopper put in an incredible performance as the Gunners won 2-0 at Leicester last weekend, making a string of eye catching saves.
Ramsdale's faultless display at the King Power Stadium went some way to justifying the £30million spent acquiring his services from relegated Sheffield United in the summer.
Arteta said: “One of the things that I was most impressed every time I watched a game he played in was his temperament.
“I wanted to watch a lot of clips and moments after he was conceding a goal, making a mistake or sort of difficult moments.
“And that's one of the big reasons why we made the decision to sign him to play with us.”
Ramsdale has already endeared himself to the Gunners faithful, joining in with chants and getting involved in some banter with fans at Leicester last weekend.
On the subject of whether Ramsdale’s personality was a factor in signing him Arteta added: “I think yes. This character was able to do that. But at the moment we are working and it is absolutely business.
“At that point there’s no laughs and there is no room for complacency. It's just about winning.”
The 23-year-old's superb form has meant that former first choice keeper Bernd Leno has become an increasingly peripheral figure at the Emirates.
However, Arteta is adamant that the German international has remained professional despite sitting on the bench, and is keen to push Ramsdale to continue his exceptional form.
He added: “Obviously, he's disappointed and he should be disappointed. Because he wants to play and he's used to playing.
“But at the same time, what he needs to do is raise his level. And he's going to raise Aaron's level, so everyone is performing really well.
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“A big part of that is because Bernd is next to him, trying to help him, trying to support everything in training, and trying to make him a better goalkeeper.
“That is exactly what we want.”
