Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Callum Wilson has told The Footballer’s Football Podcast that he would name Aaron Ramsdale as the Premier League Young Player of the Season, picking him over winner Phil Foden.
Foden won the award after helping Manchester City clinch yet another Premier League title. He scored nine goals and provided five assists as Pep Guardiola’s men retained their coveted trophy in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season against Aston Villa.
The team who boasted the most nominations however, was Arsenal with the Gunners having both Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka in contention for the award after Mikel Arteta’s men came fifth in the league.
Of course, for much of the season, it appeared that Arsenal were on course to book their Champions League ticket before losing it to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the final day.
It is remarkable to think of what the mood was like early on in the campaign after losing three on the bounce without scoring.
And they had thought that it was a good idea to spend up to £30 million on a backup goalkeeper in Ramsdale.
Their decision to pursue the newly-capped England international was ridiculed by many. He had been relegated in consecutive years with Bournemouth and Sheffield United. And he looked set to be Bernd Leno’s understudy initially.
However, Arteta made the change quickly. And the decision proved to be inspired.
The Chesterton-born goalkeeper has been exceptional for much of the campaign as Arsenal and Arteta now seem to have found their number one for years to come.
That prompted Newcastle striker Wilson to suggest that he would have Ramsdale ahead of Foden for the Young Player of the Season award.
“Young Player of the Season I’d probably go for Ramsdale at Arsenal. Coming from Bournemouth and Sheffield United, two relegations let’s not forget, and then he’s gone to Arsenal and there was a lot of question marks raised, even from myself who’d played with him before and thought Arsenal ‘is that a step too big’,” he told The Footballer’s Football Podcast.
“He’s proved everyone wrong and pulled off some amazing saves. I’d probably say him to be honest, not just because I know him, but Foden is a great player – who I’d put close by – but I think Ramsdale has pipped it for me.”
Our thoughts…
Ramsdale was indeed by far the best signing for the Gunners as the shot-stopper kept clean-sheets in 12 matches out of the 34 games he featured in for the club.
While the odd mistake was not far from his game this campaign, he’s evidently shown his class on numerous occasions for Arteta with some spectacular highlight-reel saves, not least the one he pulled off from James Maddison’s superbly-hit free-kick at the King Power earlier in the campaign.
The impact he has made on the Gunners back-four has been stark, and of course with more maturity and development in his game, the £22.5m-rated shot-stopper could well turn out to be one of the best goalkeepers on the continent.
