It has been another thrilling and enthralling Premier League campaign for fans up and down the country in the year of 2025/26 and whilst Tottenham Hotspur have again been battling away at the bottom of the top flight table, North London rivals Arsenal finally look set to break their own title hoodoo.
But every season we have some kind of flashback and this month it is the turn of former Arsenal starlet and Welsh international captain Aaron Ramsey, as he has now formally announced his retirement from the ‘beautiful game' with immediate effect. For fans in the English game, he is a name that has not been on the radar for a while and has become what many hope for when using anonymous betting online services, but a footballer is notorious for liking the limelight and Ramsey is no different.
The 35 year old has had an interesting career down the years. He first came through Cardiff City's ranks and began to catch the eye back in the early Noughties and he impressed enough for Arsenal to snap him up back in the 2008 campaign. Over the next decade and a bit, despite being heavily limited by a spate of serious injuries at points, he went on to make well over 250 starting appearances for the side, with more than 100 more coming as a substitute and with over 50 goals to his name there were some very memorable, and important ones, in his collection.
Brief spells with Juventus, Rangers and Nice followed before he returned home to Cardiff for a period and he then enjoyed a short spell with Mexican side Pumas UNAM. As well as a host of individual awards from his playing career, Ramsey also walks away with three FA Cup wins, two Community Shield's, the Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana and a Scottish Cup to his name.
He will probably be better remembered for his international exploits though. 86 caps for Wales saw a return of 21 goals, but most notably he was part of the team that made it to the semi finals of the European Championships back in 2016, and he was instrumental in their run to Euro 2020 – successive tournament qualifications. In making it to the 2022 World Cup, Ramsey also helped Wales end a run of failing to qualify for the latter stages which stretched back to 1958. He even gained five caps for the Great Britain Olympic team.
Having been without a club since his spell in Mexico came to an end, it is no real surprise at his age (and with his prior injury issues) that he has now decided to hang up his playing boots for good, but it is widely expected that he will now start to make his way more formally through the coaching levels as many in the wider world of football have long tipped him as being a potential manager of the future.
His coaching pathway has already begun in fairness, last season upon his return home to the Bluebirds, he did spend a period of time as their interim head coach. The only real question now is where does he turn up as an assistant gaffer to take his next step?
