Aaron Ramsey facts for kids
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Ramsey with Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 December 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Caerphilly, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Cardiff City | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2006 | Cardiff City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2008 | Cardiff City | 16 | (1) |
| 2008–2019 | Arsenal | 262 | (40) |
| 2010–2011 | → Nottingham Forest (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2019–2022 | Juventus | 49 | (5) |
| 2022 | → Rangers (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Nice | 27 | (1) |
| 2023– | Cardiff City | 17 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005–2008 | Wales U17 | 15 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Wales U21 | 12 | (2) |
| 2008– | Wales | 86 | (21) |
| 2012 | Great Britain Olympic | 5 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Aaron James Ramsey (born 26 December 1990) is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Cardiff City and is the captain of the Wales national team. Ramsey is known for playing as a "box-to-box" midfielder, meaning he helps both in defense and attack. He can also play on the left or right wings.
Ramsey started his football journey at Cardiff City as a schoolboy. He spent eight years in their youth teams. He became the youngest player ever to play for Cardiff City's first team. He played 28 games for the senior team, including the 2008 FA Cup final. In 2008, Ramsey moved to Arsenal. He quickly became a regular player there.
However, his career faced a big challenge when he broke his leg in 2010. After two loan spells at other clubs, he fully recovered. He became a key player for Arsenal again, helping them win the FA Cup in 2014, 2015, and 2017. He even scored the winning goals in the 2014 and 2017 finals! In 2019, he joined Juventus in Italy and won the league title in his first season. After playing for Rangers and Nice, Ramsey returned to Cardiff City in 2023.
Aaron Ramsey also plays a very important role for his country, Wales. He made his debut for the Wales national team in 2008. He helped Wales reach the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016, which was a huge achievement. He also helped them qualify for UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qualifying for the World Cup was a "dream come true" for Wales, as it was their first time since 1958.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Aaron Ramsey grew up in Caerphilly, Wales. He went to Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni school. He started playing football at age nine. Before football, he was also a talented rugby player and athlete. He played rugby as a winger for Caerphilly R.F.C. He was even approached by scouts from a rugby league team, St. Helens. But he had already joined Cardiff City's youth academy.
Ramsey was also a champion in pentathlon for Welsh Schools' Athletic Association in 2005. He was ranked 4th in Great Britain for his age group in 2006. He lived with his parents and brother until he moved to London. He can speak Welsh fluently.
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Career at Cardiff City
Aaron Ramsey joined Cardiff City at age eight. He impressed them during a youth tournament. He worked his way up through the club's youth system. He made his first team debut on 28 April 2007. He was only 16 years and 124 days old, making him Cardiff City's youngest ever player.
Cardiff City turned down offers from other big clubs for Ramsey. He signed his first professional contract in December 2007. He scored his first goal for Cardiff in an FA Cup match against Chasetown in January 2008. He also scored his first league goal in April 2008. He played in the 2008 FA Cup Final, becoming one of the youngest players to do so.
After his great performances, big clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Everton became interested in him. Even though he grew up a Manchester United fan, he chose to join Arsenal.
Time at Arsenal
On 10 June 2008, Ramsey officially joined Arsenal. He signed a long-term contract. He chose Arsenal because their manager, Arsène Wenger, flew to Switzerland to talk to him and his family. Wenger explained his plans for Ramsey's future at the club. Wenger described Ramsey as a player with "fantastic engine, good build, good technique and good vision."
Ramsey made his first game for Arsenal in August 2008. He made his league debut a month later. He scored his first goal for Arsenal in a UEFA Champions League match against Fenerbahçe. He became one of the youngest goal scorers in Champions League history. In July 2009, he signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.
Injury and Comeback
On 27 February 2010, Ramsey suffered a serious leg injury while playing against Stoke City. He broke two bones in his lower right leg. This was a very tough time for him. He signed a new contract in June 2010 and slowly returned to training in October 2010.
To get back to full fitness, Ramsey went on loan to Nottingham Forest and then back to Cardiff City in 2011. He played well during these loan spells. He returned to Arsenal and scored his first goal since his injury in May 2011 against Manchester United.
Becoming a Star Player
Ramsey worked hard to get back to his best. He became a regular starter for Arsenal. In December 2012, he signed another new contract. Fans voted him Arsenal Player of the Month multiple times. He scored an important goal against Wigan Athletic that helped Arsenal win.
The 2013–14 season was a breakthrough year for Ramsey. He scored many goals and provided assists. He was named man of the match in several games. He scored two goals against his old club, Cardiff City, but chose not to celebrate out of respect. Fans of Cardiff City even cheered for him.
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He won the Premier League Player of the Month award for September 2013. He scored a fantastic long-range goal against Liverpool. Sadly, he suffered another thigh injury in December 2013, missing three months.
When he returned, he helped Arsenal win the 2014 FA Cup Final. He scored the winning goal in extra time against Hull City. This ended Arsenal's nine-year wait for a trophy! For his amazing performances, Ramsey was named Arsenal Player of the Season for 2013–14.
More FA Cup Success
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Ramsey continued his success. He scored in the 2014 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. He also scored the winning goal in Arsenal's first league game of the 2014–15 season. He scored two goals in a Champions League match against Galatasaray. In May 2015, he played in the 2015 FA Cup Final, which Arsenal won 4–0 against Aston Villa.
After Mikel Arteta left, Ramsey took over the number 8 jersey. In 2017, he scored his first goal of the season in the FA Cup. He scored another goal in the quarter-finals. On 27 May 2017, he scored the winning goal again in the 2017 FA Cup Final against Chelsea, helping Arsenal win 2–1.
Final Seasons at Arsenal
In the 2017–18 season, Ramsey scored in Arsenal's opening Premier League game. He scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 5–1 win against Everton in February 2018. He also scored important goals in the Europa League. At the end of the season, Arsenal fans voted him their Arsenal Player of the Season for the second time.
In February 2019, it was announced that Ramsey would move to Italian club Juventus in the summer. He suffered a hamstring injury in April, which unfortunately ended his season and his time at Arsenal.
Playing for Juventus and Rangers
On 11 February 2019, Ramsey signed a four-year contract with Juventus. He officially joined them on 1 July 2019. He made his debut for Juventus in a Champions League game in September. A few days later, he made his first start in the Italian league (Serie A) and scored his first goal for the club.
In October 2020, Ramsey played his 50th Champions League game. He became only the third Welsh male player to reach this milestone, after Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale. He won the Serie A league title with Juventus in his first season.
In January 2022, Ramsey joined Rangers in Scotland on loan. He scored two goals in the league for them. He also played in the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final. Rangers lost the final in a penalty shootout, and Ramsey's penalty was saved. Three days later, Rangers won the Scottish Cup, though Ramsey was an unused substitute. In July, his contract with Juventus ended.
Playing for Nice and Back to Cardiff City
On 1 August 2022, Ramsey joined Nice in France. He scored a goal on his debut in a 1–1 draw against Toulouse.
On 15 July 2023, Ramsey's contract with Nice ended. On the same day, he rejoined Cardiff City on a two-year deal. His son, Sonny, also joined Cardiff City's youth academy.
International Career with Wales
Ramsey first played for the Wales U17 team in 2005. He then played for the U21 team in 2007, even though he was still very young.
He made his debut for the senior Wales national football team on 19 November 2008, when he was 17. He scored his first goal for Wales in a World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in 2009. He was also named the FAW's Young Player of the Year.
In 2011, manager Gary Speed made Ramsey the permanent captain of Wales. At 20 years and 90 days old, he became the youngest ever Wales captain. He scored his first goal as captain in a match against Northern Ireland.
Ramsey was chosen to play for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Football Tournament. He played in all three group games. In the quarter-finals, he scored a penalty, but his team lost in a shootout.
In 2012, Ashley Williams became Wales captain, but Ramsey was told he would likely be captain again in the future. Ramsey scored a penalty in a 2–1 win over Scotland in 2013.
Euro 2016 and World Cup Qualification
Ramsey was a key player for Wales at UEFA Euro 2016. He helped his country reach the semi-finals, which was an amazing achievement. He set up goals and scored one himself against Russia. He was named in the Team of the Tournament for his great performances. He was also the joint-highest assist provider in the tournament.
Ramsey played a big part in Wales' qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He described it as a "dream come true" because it was Wales' first World Cup since 1958. He played in all three group matches at the World Cup.
On 14 March 2023, Ramsey was named captain of Wales again, after Gareth Bale retired. On 11 September 2023, he scored his 100th career goal from a penalty in a 2–0 win over Latvia.
How Aaron Ramsey Plays Football
Aaron Ramsey is known for his great technique and strong running. He is especially good at making late runs into the penalty area to score goals. He has a lot of energy and works very hard all over the field. He is also a good passer and has great vision. This helps him create chances for his teammates.
He usually plays in the middle of the field, either as a central or attacking midfielder. But he can also play on the wings. Sometimes, he even plays in a box-to-box role, helping both defense and attack.
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger called Ramsey a "complete midfielder." He said Ramsey can defend, attack, and score goals. During the 2013–14 season, Ramsey became one of Arsenal's most important players. He was very strong with the ball and could easily get past opponents. Even though he missed time with injuries, he was still one of Arsenal's top goal scorers and assist providers that season.
Off the Pitch
Aaron Ramsey married Colleen Rowlands on 8 June 2014. They have three children together.
Ramsey cares a lot about animals and nature. He supports the World Wildlife Fund and is passionate about conservation. He has also had modelling contracts and is sponsored by Adidas.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cardiff City | 2006–07 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Championship | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 2 | |||
| Total | 16 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||||
| Arsenal | 2008–09 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 22 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 29 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 44 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 36 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 47 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 23 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | — | 34 | 16 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 29 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 10 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 31 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 6 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 23 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 40 | 6 | ||
| Total | 262 | 40 | 27 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 63 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 369 | 64 | ||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2010–11 | Championship | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Cardiff City (loan) | 2010–11 | Championship | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||||
| Juventus | 2019–20 | Serie A | 24 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 70 | 6 | |||
| Rangers (loan) | 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | ||
| Nice | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2023–24 | Championship | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 390 | 53 | 40 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 88 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 536 | 79 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2008 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 86 | 21 | |
- Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ramsey goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 October 2009 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein |  Liechtenstein |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 14 November 2009 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Scotland |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 27 May 2011 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Northern Ireland |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2011 Nations Cup |
| 4 | 2 September 2011 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Montenegro |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 5 | 7 October 2011 | Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales |  Switzerland |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 6 | 22 March 2013 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 6 September 2013 | Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia |  Macedonia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 15 October 2013 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 28 March 2015 | Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel |  Israel |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 10 | 13 October 2015 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Andorra |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 11 | 20 June 2016 | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France |  Russia |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
| 12 | 11 June 2017 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 5 September 2017 | Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 6 September 2018 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Republic of Ireland |
3–0 | 4–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B |
| 15 | 19 November 2019 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Hungary |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 16 | 2–0 | |||||
| 17 | 16 June 2021 | Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan |  Turkey |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 |
| 18 | 8 October 2021 | Sinobo Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic |  Czech Republic |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 13 November 2021 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Belarus |
1–0 | 5–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 3–0 | |||||
| 21 | 11 September 2023 | Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia |  Latvia |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
Honours
Cardiff City
- FA Cup runner-up: 2007–08
Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2014, 2015
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19
Juventus
- Serie A: 2019–20
- Coppa Italia: 2020–21; runner-up: 2019–20
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2020
Rangers
- Scottish Cup: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2021–22
Individual
- Welsh Young Player of the Year: 2009, 2010
- Premier League Player of the Month: September 2013
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 2013–14, 2017–18
- London Player of the Year: 2014
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
- UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 2016
- Premier League Goal of the Month: October 2018
See Also
In Spanish: Aaron Ramsey para niños
Images for kids
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Ramsey with Cardiff City in 2008
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Ramsey (in dark blue) with Arsenal in 2009
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Ramsey playing for Arsenal against Stoke City in 2010
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Ramsey warming up with Arsenal before a match against Aston Villa in 2012
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Ramsey facing former club Cardiff City in the Premier League in 2013
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Ramsey taking a free kick in a Champions League match against Marseille in 2013
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Ramsey (second from right) celebrating a goal with Olivier Giroud (left) in 2015
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Ramsey playing for Arsenal in 2015
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Ramsey warming up with Juventus in 2019
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Ramsey (middle) lining up for the Wales U21 team, alongside Christian Ribeiro (right) and Ched Evans (left) in 2008
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Ramsey (fourth from left) with Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics
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Ramsey on the ball for Arsenal against Swansea in a Premier League match in 2011
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Ramsey with the FA Cup trophy in 2014
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