AARON Ramsey, the former Arsenal midfield maestro who returned to his hometown club Cardiff this summer, shared his thoughts on the recent transfer of his Cymru teammate, Brennan Johnson, to Tottenham. Ramsey, a veteran of 11 years at Arsenal, where he etched his name in history with crucial FA Cup final-winning goals, admitted his mixed feelings about Johnson’s £47.5 million move from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham on transfer deadline day.
Ramsey, now 32 years old, had ventured beyond North London, with stints at Juventus and Nice, before returning to Cardiff. However, his allegiance to Arsenal remained unwavering as he spoke about Johnson’s transfer: “I wish it weren’t to Tottenham. For him, it’s a brilliant move. The potential he has is quite scary, and hopefully, he can take those next steps and go to the next level.”
While expressing his excitement about Johnson’s future, Ramsey emphasised the importance of the young forward for the Cymru national team: “He’s going to be important for Cymru as well. He’s going to be huge for us over the years to come, and we’re all excited that he has another platform to go on and improve himself again.”
Cymru, under the leadership of manager Rob Page, faces a crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Latvia after suffering defeats to Armenia and Turkey in June. Ramsey acknowledged the challenging situation but expressed his support for the manager: “We are all behind the gaffer as what he has done has been quite remarkable coming into the job in the circumstances that he did.”
Reflecting on his return to Cardiff, Ramsey spoke about the positive impact of being close to his family: “I just feel like there has been a weight lifted off my shoulders, I am feeling a lot more free, and I think that definitely helps going onto the pitch.” Ramsey shared his anticipation about the everyday joys of family life, including the upcoming school run: “I’m looking forward to that, having three boys screaming in the car in the morning. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into being a family again.”
