Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey has expressed his belief that he can offer a lot more to Arsenal and is focused on improving his game as much as possible after a mixed, but relatively successful first full season.
Ramsey became captain of the Wales international side at the tender age of 20 by the late Gary Speed after his remarkable recovery from the horrific leg break in February 2010. Since then he has become an Arsenal first team regular and much weight was placed on the youngster’s shoulders after the departure of midfield duo Cesc Fabregas and Samir Na$ri last summer.
While the jury was out after some lackluster performances, the Welshman believes he has a lot to offer the North London side, and is looking forward to adding the Olympics to his already lengthy list of personal milestones.
He told The Daily Mail:
I have certainly done a lot so far in my short career, but I am delighted with how it’s gone so far, apart from my injury.
I missed about 10 months, which stalled my progress and obviously it takes a bit of time to get over that as well afterwards.
I have been pleased with what I have done so far, but I still think there is a lot more to come from me, and I am working hard and wanting to learn more every day to become the best player I can possibly become.
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On the Olympics tournament for Great Britian..
Ryan [Giggs] and Bellers [Craig Bellamy] haven’t had a chance to play in a tournament unfortunately, so they wanted to play at the highest level in something like the Olympics.
For me, it’s a unique thing and there’s going to be some great countries with great players involved, so it’s great to test yourself against them and we are looking forward to it.
We are all proud to be Welsh and we are representing our country as well as Great Britain.
Ramsey’s shocking double leg fracture to his right leg as a result of Stoke defender’s Ryan Shawcross poorly timed tackle has left the Welshman with a nasty scar, but the mature 22 year old is focusing on the future and putting the horror from over two years ago behind him.
He added:
I’d rather it [the scar] not be there, but I am delighted with the way I recovered from it, and the medical staff and the surgeons and everything, I am just thankful for what they have done to me.
It’s amazing what they can do these days. I was back up on my feet a couple of days after the operation trying to walk on it again, and it’s just incredible what they can do.
Many feared the talented midfielder would fail to regain full fitness again after such an intense leg injury, but luckily he has returned to action and back into Wenger’s first team plans. But he still misses some of his former pace and is often hesitant on the ball which has led to some criticism and the nickname ‘Ramilson’ among some fed up Gooners.
But it’s safe to say he will not be the next Denilson as he will be a big player for the Gunners this season. Last campaign was his first full season with Arsenal and was overplayed after a series of injuries and the transfer dilemmas from August last summer left Wenger’s squad depleted.
But despite the faith I have in Ramsey, I feel we still need one more attacking midfielder this summer unless Eisfeld is ready to step into the first team. The German starlet made the cut for the Asia preseason trip and this will provide the midfielder a chance to impress after a successful reserve team run since his January signing.
Rosicky will still challenge Ramsey for a spot, but his persistent injury record is worrying, and now he will miss the beginning of the upcoming Premier League season. But if all goes well and Ramsey returns from the Olympics injury free he will be able to start the season flying.
What are your thoughts over Ramsey? Do you think he still has what it takes to be a big player in red and white despite his sometimes average performances last season? Feel free to comment below or on allArsenal’s forum in Ramsey’s thread.
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