Aston Villa talent Aaron Ramsey has opened up on his conversations with Cameron Archer before joining Middlesbrough on loan. The young midfielder also spoke with Aaron Danks.
The Villans agreed to send two of their prospects to the Riverside in January to secure first-team action. Archer joined Boro until the end of the season at the start of the winter sales after struggling for minutes. While Ramsey later followed him to Teesside on deadline day.
Ramsey had already spent the first half of the campaign on loan in the Championship with Norwich City. But the 20-year-old returned to Bodymoor Heath to recover after requiring surgery on a knee injury. He had scored three and assisted three goals in 18 league games.
As it happened, Middlesbrough would prove to be Ramsey’s final opponent with Norwich on November 12 before the World Cup. Now, he is at the Riverside with another of Aston Villa’s prospects in Archer. He is also now with former Villans first-team coach Danks there.
Middlesbrough hired Danks as one of Michael Carrick’s assistant coaches after the 37-year-old left Aston Villa. He left the Birmingham outfit after Unai Emery arrived to take over the helm from Steven Gerrard. He had stood in as the Villans’ caretaker coach in two matches.
Aston Villa gem Ramsey spoke with Archer and Danks before joining Middlesbrough
Ramsey sought to speak with Danks and then Archer before the Aston Villa gem agreed to join Middlesbrough on loan. He wanted to hear first-hand what it was like at the club from their early experiences. And he has stated, via The Northern Echo, Archer was not wrong.
“I spoke with Danksy about coming and then I rang Cam straight away after,” Ramsey said. “He’s obviously been here a few weeks, so I wanted to know what it was like. He was like: ‘Yeah, 100% you should come up. It’s a great place and the lads are great.’
“I got here and he was right. The lads have been perfect with me since I got here and it makes it easier to settle in and focus on your football when the lads are like that. They make it easy for you.”
Ramsey is yet to make his Middlesbrough bow due to the injury the Aston Villa gem picked up at Norwich. Archer, on the other hand, has played in four Championship games and has started twice. He also has one assist but is yet to score under Carrick through 216 minutes.
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