Aaron Ramsey has opened up on the ‘mad’ voicemails left by Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson after finding himself at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war shortly before deciding to join Arsenal.
Ramsey was one of the most highly rated prospects in British football after coming through the ranks at boyhood club Cardiff City, attracting interest from some of the biggest names in the game. Manchester United and Arsenal were both keen on landing the then 17-year-old, with the legendary bosses of both teams making personal bids to persuade the Welshman to join.
Ramsey would eventually opt for the Gunners, of course, although clearly United was an option he considered, not least because of a family connection. “I was always a Cardiff supporter, but my dad was a Manchester United fan and I watched them quite a lot with him,” Ramsey told FourFourTwo.
“It was a strange time in my life, to have two teams I’d watched so much as a child showing interest in me. I spoke to both managers on the phone a few times. I was 17 years old and I was getting voicemails from Fergie and Arsene Wenger! It was mad.”
The saga would rumble on for much of the 2008 summer window, and Man United grew increasingly confident of winning the race. They even announced a fee had been agreed with Cardiff, with midfielder set to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
However, Ramsey would eventually go on to sign for Arsenal, where he’d make 369 appearances for the club over an 11-year stint before eventually moving to Juventus in 2019.
“Arsenal felt like the right decision for me. I remember showing up to training on my first day and seeing Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas… I had to pinch myself. I was like, ‘What on Earth am I doing here?’ It was an exciting time for me.”
Ramsey, now back at Cardiff, is set for a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, which will subsequently keep him out of the latest Wales camp. Rob Page’s men face Gibraltor in Wrexham on Wednesday before hosting Croatia at the Cardiff City Stadium in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Ben Davies is set to take on the captaincy in the midfielder’s absence, and admits not having the 32-year-old involved is a setback.
“Aaron’s a great player and to be without him is a blow,” he said.
“It gives the boys who have come in, during his absence before, another chance to show what they can do and we’re excited for the games.
“It (captaincy) is something I’m incredibly proud to do. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve done it before, but it’s nice going into the games knowing the situation we’re in and I’m ready for it.”