If you’d have asked any Sheffield United fan 12 months ago if Aaron Ramsdale would be pushing for the England number one jersey having left the Blades for around £30m, most would have looked at you with confusion.
Back in November 2020, Ramsdale was fresh off the back of a miserable performance for United at Chelsea. The Blues hammered the Blades 4-1, with ‘Rammers’ putting in one of his worst displays as a Blade.
That day, Ramsdale allowed a scuffed Tammy Abraham effort past him. He also had a nightmare for Ben Chilwell’s goal, getting beaten to the punch by the England left-back. Safe to say, then, that few predicted what was to come for Ramsdale.
Fast forward a year, and Ramsdale is on a new path. Loved by the Arsenal fans, the former Blades number one has just picked up the Player of the Month Award for the Gunners. It’s little surprise. Ramsdale kept two clean-sheets from four, and made a wonder save at Leicester last weekend.
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In a nutshell, the change around in a year’s work has been remarkable.
Going Full Circle
You have to admire Aaron Ramsdale here. From looking like a goalkeeper who didn’t even belong at Championship level at times, he has turned things around remarkably.
Indeed, we wrote at the time in 2020 how it was time for United to drop Ramsdale. While even this week, Chris Wilder joked if the stopper had performed for him as he is at Arsenal, things might be different.
The England number one spot is now a realistic possibility for Aaron Ramsdale. Of course, Jordan Pickford will take some moving. But it’s remarkable to think that Ramsdale is now ahead of another former Blade, Dean Henderson, in the pecking order.
That night at Stamford Bridge is one to erase from the memory books for United fans, Ramsdale, and Wilder. But just a short 12 months onto the present day, and football once again shows how quickly things can change.
