Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has urged Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale to follow Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay’s lead to regain his spot in Mikel Arteta’s first eleven.
After moving to the Emirates Stadium from Sheffield United back in 2020, the 25-year-old was the Gunners’ first-choice goalkeeper over the last few years. The Englishman even helped his side finish second in the Premier League last term and qualify for the Champions League this season.
However, following the arrival of David Raya last summer, Ramsdale has found himself on the periphery for Arsenal in recent months. The player’s father recently revealed that the goalkeeper has now lost his smile after losing his spot in Arsenal’s first eleven. The goalkeeper’s dad has also slammed Arteta for dropping his son without telling the real reason behind this decision.
Now, writing in the Daily Mail, Souness has said that Ramsdale will have to turn his fortune around by himself with performances and his dad won’t be able to make any changes to that by speaking in the public forum.
Pundit urges Ramsdale to keep patience
The pundit further states that top-level football is cruel and situations like this can arrive without any particular reasons. So, Ramsdale should keep his focus and continue working hard to regain his spot as Manchester United duo Maguire and McTominay have done at Old Trafford after finding themselves in a similar situation last term.
Souness wrote:
“It is time for Aaron Ramsdale to do his own fighting, rather than his dad doing it for him after his appearance on a podcast this week. The Arsenal goalkeeper has to show what he is made of and deal with the situation in which he finds himself. Mikel Arteta fancies David Raya more than he does Ramsdale right now, but that can change.
“I would ask him to look at the example of Harry Maguire. He took all the criticism on the chin, all the disappointment. He dealt with it and finds himself back in the team at Manchester United. Scott McTominay, too. He was being pushed out the door at the start of the season, and now he’s in the side. That’s football.
“For Ramsdale, this a tough, mental challenge. He cannot point to anything he’s done wrong on a consistent basis that has cost him his place in the team. Sport at the highest level can be cruel and can be seen to be unfair. But there is only one person who can right that perceived injustice — and it’s not Ramsdale’s dad.”
Although Raya has been handed the first team shirt for Arsenal in recent times, the Spanish hasn’t been at his very best in recent games. So, there is a chance that Arteta could decide to change his mind and recall Ramsdale if the Spaniard doesn’t improve over the coming months. Therefore, Ramsdale should keep his patience as things could get better for him going forward.
