Aaron Ramsey has been a serial winner throughout his career – and he believes Mikel Arteta will help Arsenal win trophies again.
Wales captain Ramsey, 32, won three FA Cups with Arsenal, a Serie A title and Coppa Italia with Juventus and has enjoyed a glittering career as a prolific goalscoring midfielder.
Ramsey spent 11 years at the Emirates, is a former Arsenal team-mate of Arteta and believes the Gunners are on the verge of great things again. Gunners boss Arteta pushed Manchester City in last season’s title race and Ramsey thinks with the right acquisitions as they target the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, they will be even better next term.
Ramsey, talking at the opening of a new sports facility, Cruyff Court Aaron Ramsey at the Trinity Fields School, named in his honour in his home town of Caerphilly, said: “The job that Mikel Arteta has done in such a short space of time has been remarkable really.
“For them to do so well and push Man City so close last season, was a great achievement. The main thing for the club was to get back into the Champions League and they managed to do that and play some great football.
“For them to go on now and to kick on again is going to be really important and it’s just great to see them back competing for trophies when you consider what they are up against, one of the best teams that there has ever been.
“They will have to work on that, that’s for sure. But the progression they’ve made is phenomenal. The Premier League is so tough. There’s seven or eight teams now, the way that Brighton have been playing has been fantastic and the standard has gone up again.
“It will be difficult, that’s for sure. But hopefully they can kick on again and make another step forward this summer.”
Ramsey still follows Arsenal’s progress and can see they are in the market for top class midfielders which always brings competition. But the Welshman has no doubts they can get business done as they bought well last year.
“Until someone’s sat there all signed up, you can never get too carried away,” said Ramsey. “But they did some great business last year and I would expect them to do something similar again.”
Ramsey should be proud of being one of the best British players of his generation and has always maximised his talent with his single-minded approach and determination to reach the top.
He played with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott at Arsenal. He overcame a career-threatening leg break and helped Arsenal qualify for the Champions League year after year before joining one of Europe’s biggest clubs in Juventus.
Whatever happens next, Ramsey can boast a brilliant career. His drive got him on the end of crosses and through balls but it also made him the best version of himself.
“I think when you look back on my career, I went from the boy from Caerphilly to what I have achieved, I can be really proud of that – and I am,” he said. “Especially with a lot of things that went, with the leg break and things like that, I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved so far.
“For me to try and get every single drop out of myself in every game throughout my career and I can certainly be proud of the fact that I have never left anything out there. I played for some amazing clubs. I was at Arsenal for 11 years, being at one club, not many players do that.
“For me then to step out of my comfort zone, move with my family to fog abroad and live somewhere abroad which is so different to what we’re used to do. Somewhere so different, considering the amount of time we spent in London.
“That was a massive, massive challenge in itself but, for sure, that definitely helps you. It really pushes you as a player but also expands you as a human being as well.”
Ramsey is also determined to give “something back” to where it all began. He teamed up with the Johan Cruyff Foundation which, with the help of the late Dutch great’s family, have built more than 300 sports facilities.
Ramsey opened the Cruyff Court Aaron Ramsey in his hometown, Caerphilly, at the Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre with the new court dedicated to children with additional learning needs.
Ramsey has also taken on the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the It’s Never You charity which was set up in memory of six-year-old Hugh Menai-Davis.
Ramsey said: “I’ve been lucky with football down the years and now to see children get these sort of opportunities, it means a lot to me to give back, especially as it’s where I grew up and near to my community.
“To start with the Cruyff Court in your home town, five minutes from where I used to live. It was a no-brainer for me to get involved. It’s something I feel passionate about because I want to give something back.
“The Three Peaks challenge was done for a friend and his wife who set up a charity called It’s Never You because unfortunately they lost their little boy to cancer at six years old and that was for them and hopefully it will help their charity.”
