Aaron Ramsdale has been a brilliant upgrade to Arsenal’s goalkeeping role since his arrival. He swiftly usurped Bernd Leno into the position not only for his characteristically stronger distribution but he also proved to be a solid shot-stopper.
Ramsdale has gained something of a cult following, much thanks to his comedic antics between the sticks and virally trending clips where he interacts with the away supporters. From joining in with scathing chants about himself to picking up spare change lobbed at him from the seats behind him, Ramsdale is a character that the club are thankful to have.
So much so that a new contract for the current Arsenal number one represents just how good he has been after less than two full seasons. It further outlines his integration into the club and how much he has become a part of the club’s fabric.
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Becoming nearly as famous as the Arsenal stopper, his father, Nick Ramsdale, too gained notoriety for his appearance in the Amazon All or Nothing series which covered Aaron’s (who I will address as such to avoid confusion) first season with the club.
Adorned with his fez-like hat, Nick was seen struggling with the stresses of watching his son turn out for one of the country’s biggest clubs. Both a blessing and evidently somewhat of a curse that very few will ever experience.
One of the highlights of the season covered in the documentary series was the win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. From a James Maddison free-kick, Ramsdale pulled off what would go down as one of the saves of the season and despite being in attendance to watch the game… Nick missed it.
Speaking on the Highbury Squad with Sophie Nicolaou and former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, Nick told the brilliant story behind how exactly that happened. Something he will surely regret and take extra time to watch back more so than any other save perhaps in his son’s career.
“I would like to say I was in the queue to go to the toilet,” Nick says joking that is what he told his wife. However, he continues to admit, “Unfortunately, I was in the queue to get a beer because I couldn’t take anymore.”
“And then on the balcony coming back, as you come down to where the bar is, some chap shouted out ‘what a super expletive save it was’. I said ‘Who?’ and he said, ‘Ramsdale!’
Nick adds that he: “Could have possibly burst into tears but if I had have done I would have missed my place getting a beer.”
Speaking solely from a selfish perspective, there used to be few things that could separate me from a cold beer to watch the football, but Nick may have taken it to a different level. In all seriousness, Nick’s anxiety watching his son play has gone down in the modern-day folklore surrounding the Arsenal stopper and I think we can all forgive him for this transgression. Aaron on the other hand may need more convincing.
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