Aaron Ramsdale’s father has criticised the manner in which Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dropped his son for David Raya.
Ramsdale – who has been Arsenal’s No 1 for the last two seasons – has not started a Premier League game for Arsenal since September 3, with on-loan goalkeeper Raya now Arteta’s first-choice shot stopper.
Since Raya moved from Brentford this summer, Arteta has insisted that Arsenal have two No 1 goalkeepers, but Ramsdale’s father Nick has said that the Arsenal manager has relegated his son to second-choice goalkeeper without telling him it is the case.
In an interview with the Highbury Squad podcast, which included input from former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, Ramsdale Senior said: “We did not have a clue [Ramsdale was going to be dropped]. I didn’t have a clue, our family didn’t have a clue, Aaron didn’t have a clue that he was not going to carry on playing. All of a sudden, he’s not been played.
“You just have to look at it personally and I’m probably saying too much but: Aaron is going to be the cup goalkeeper, and David Raya is going to be the main man unless something happens, an injury or a sending-off. And Aaron’s got to live with that and he is living with that even though he’s not been told it. By anybody.
“Squads evolve all the time, nobody is going to be there forever. David Raya has not pulled up trees so far, let’s say he’s not going to. Even though the way it’s been done, in my eyes, it’s been wrong.”
SkySports
