In the wake of David Raya’s arrival on loan, Aaron Ramsdale’s role at Arsenal has dwindled to just four league appearances. A significant £30 million signing from Sheffield United, Ramsdale had previously been the Gunners’ undisputed number one for two consecutive seasons.
However, the English shot-stopper now finds himself playing second fiddle, a situation that has raised concerns about his status within the England national team. Nevertheless, Ramsdale draws inspiration from the journeys of players like Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips, who, despite limited club appearances, have excelled on the international stage.
When asked about his concerns, he said: “Yes, of course, it is the first time I have found myself in this situation.
“The manager here [Southgate] is brilliant, he trusts the players he’s worked with before as we’ve seen in different types of way – you’ll see Kalvin [Phillips] and Harry [Maguire] haven’t played the most amount of minutes but when they step up for England and are given the opportunity, they perform.
“So if that’s the case for myself and I do get shown that trust to play another game, if I haven’t played for my club then I will have to repay him. But of course, I want to get back into my club team.
“I want to get into my club team and be able to give the manager a headache rather than just have Jordan [Pickford] as the England number one and me fall by the wayside.”
Ramsdale also discussed his relationship with Raya. When asked about his companionship with his compatriot, he said: “We work professionally really well together,” he continued. “We push each other in training and there’s days where I come in and I’m down because of the situation and he picks me up.
“And for whatever reason there might be a day where he’s down and even though I’m suffering and hurting for not playing I have to stand up and be able to push him and make sure he’s ready for the weekend if he’s picked to play.”
