Aaron Ramsdale shows true colours as goalkeeper picks out issue with winning trophies at Arsenal

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Aaron Ramsdale says winning a trophy at Arsenal would not have meant much to him if he had been stuck on the bench for the campaign.

The 26-year-old left the Gunners for Southampton on transfer deadline day, having lost the No.1 spot to David Raya last season. The England star played just five more times for Arsenal after being usurped last September, of which just two were in the Premier League.

He returns to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday when Southampton visit Arsenal in the hunt for their first Premier League win and clean sheet of the season. Ramsdale played 89 times across three years for Arsenal, keeping 32 clean sheets - a ratio of more than one every three matches.

He will be eager to get off the mark for the Saints against his old employers this weekend and has explained why he was happy to leave Arsenal given the situation he found himself in. “If I was sitting on the bench, it [winning a trophy] wouldn’t have meant that much to me,” he told the BBC.

“I just wanted to play football. As a kid I wanted to play football to play, not to just sit on a bench. Getting out and playing was my aim so I’m lucky I found myself here at Southampton.”

Ramsdale previously outlined that he held no hard feelings towards Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, despite being dropped by him. "The manager’s decision is the manager’s decision,” he said last month.

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“I tried my best to change his mind and force my way back in but his mind was set and, at the same time, David Raya had a great season. You can have all the upset or qualms when you’re taken out but when someone else is delivering you’ve just got to take it on the chin.

“It was tough, but I have found a new home and I am looking forward to playing again. That’s what happened, you just move on. There’s no bad blood and you’ve just got to restart your career how you see fit."

Having been included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024, Ramsdale has yet to be chosen by new interim Lee Carsley. He has not made the cut for this month’s Nations League fixtures against Finland and Greece, with Dean Henderson and Nick Pope instead getting the nod behind Jordan Pickford.

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