Speaking to The Design Museum to celebrate the launch of its new exhibition, Football: Designing the Beautiful Game, Ray Parlour has been chatting about Aaron Ramsdale.
The goalkeeper has been exceptional this season. He’s been a goliath between the sticks, making wonderful saves on almost a weekly basis, but on top of that, he’s developed into a real leader on the pitch.
Indeed, you often see the goalie marshalling his defence, while he’s also a great character, interacting with the crowd and winding up opposition players.
Parlour has been very impressed by what he’s seen from Ramsdale in terms of his character, and he reckons he has the qualities to be the captain of Arsenal one day.
What’s been said?
Parlour spoke about Ramsdale’s character.
“I think Ramsdale’s character is arguably one of his strongest attributes because a goalkeeper’s mistake usually leads to a goal and that can really dent your confidence. I like that he’s commanding and he certainly hasn’t shied away from controlling his defence during his first season at the club. I think Ramsdale has the personality and leadership qualities to be captain at the club, but I personally prefer an outfield player to wear the armband because it’s easier to manage the referee and situations all over the pitch,” Parlour said.
Captain material
Ramsdale only joined Arsenal in the summer, so making him captain anytime soon wouldn’t make too much sense.
However, he certainly has the right attitude, quality and character to fulfil such a role.
As Parlour says, outfield players are often preferred as captains, but let’s not forget, some of the best captains on the international stage have been goalkeepers over the years.
Hugo Lloris, Dino Zoff and Iker Casillas have all won World Cups as goalkeeping captains, while Manuel Neuer is Bayern’s leader from between the sticks.
Don’t be surprised if Ramsdale gets the armband one day.
Ray Parlour was speaking to the Design Museum to celebrate the launch of its new exhibition, Football: Designing the Beautiful Game, on Friday 8th April. Tickets are available to purchase from today: designmuseum.org/designingfootball
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