After putting pen to paper on a new contract with the club, Aaron Ramsdale is thrilled he has the chance to continue “living the dream” at Emirates Stadium.
The England international’s impressive displays since arriving from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021 have earned him a fresh deal, extending his stay in north London as the 25-year-old continues to go from strength to strength between our posts.
As well as feeling relieved that the ink is now dry on his contract, he is already looking forward to trying to earn his next one as he continues to enjoy playing in Mikel Arteta’s youthful side.
Discussing his emotions, he said: “It’s a huge amount of pride, it's something you work for. It doesn't matter if you've been at the club for a month or for four years, you always want to get the next one and push on with the team.
“To get it after two years, I'm buzzing. It just means I can concentrate and keep my head down, and hopefully after a few more years I'll get another one and carry on living the dream at the football club.”
When he first walked through the doors of London Colney in August 2021, many were sceptical that the young shot-stopper had what it took to become our first-choice keeper, but after edging past Bernt Leno to nail down a starting spot, many of our supporters began to appreciate his abilities and see him as our long-term number one.
Aaron admits that he was determined to take his chance to impress, and was keen to show his affection for all those Gooners who helped him through those early months.
“Deep down I knew that there was a lot of negativity around,” he admitted. “I also knew that no-one had probably actually watched me other than the three or four games I played against Arsenal.
“I was just ready to get on with it, really ready to just show what I can do. It was a great fight between me and Bernd last year and that's what you need as keepers - you need the competition.
“When I played in my debut against West Brom, that negativity went away because the fans knew to give me the chance and to give me the backing, which I needed. The fans that night were amazing for me; they sang my name and I was ready then to just kick on.
“As soon as you put that Arsenal shirt on, they'll give you every chance to try and perform. I knew I could win them over at some point - and thankfully I did that quite early really.”
Hear much more from Aaron as he chats to David Seaman about extending his stay, what it takes to be an Arsenal goalkeeper and reviewing some of his best saves so far.
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