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David James says 25-year-old Arsenal star is no longer using one of his key strengths much
David James has insisted that he is a big fan of Aaron Ramsdale, but admitted that he feels that his character has been watered down quite a bit during his time at Arsenal.
James was speaking on , providing his assessments of the goalkeepers battling for the England number one spot right now.
Of course, one of those is Aaron Ramsdale. The 25-year-old has spent much of his time on the international stage as a backup to Jordan Pickford. But he has picked up a handful of caps in the early stages of his career.
David James makes interesting Aaron Ramsdale comments
Ramsdale has been an exceptional signing for Arsenal. And he may only get better in the years to come, particularly as Mikel Arteta’s side continue to make improvements.
In fact, James went on to pick out Ramsdale as the England goalkeeper he would pick if he was the coach. However, he was critical of how his personality has changed since he joined Arsenal.
“I like Ramsdale a lot. I think there was a lot of character about Aaron Ramsdale at Sheffield United and Bournemouth. I think that character’s been watered down tremendously,” he told .
“I would go for Aaron Ramsdale. And the reason being I think there’s a bigger scope to his capabilities. The guy can distribute. But what he can do which he doesn’t do as often now, for some reason, he can dominate aerially. The guy can run and catch balls. I’d get him to do that more. If he dropped one in 10, I’d say fine.”
Obviously, this particular writer has absolutely no right to question David James’ take on goalkeeping. James is someone with nearly 1000 career appearances at club level. And he played more than 50 times for his country.
But it is confusing to hear him suggest that Ramsdale’s character has been watered down. What is so likeable about this current Arsenal team – as a neutral – is the fact that some of the players seem more relatable than most. And Ramsdale is at the head of that list.
With that, he still does lose his head at times. And he clearly enjoys the battle with opposition fans.
But what he has seemingly done is save those moments for the right time a lot more often. He is able to engage in those brilliant moments, but he has matured.
Certainly, it would be a surprise if Ramsdale took much notice of James’ comments about his character being watered down.