Mikel Arteta has urged Gareth Southgate to maintain Aaron Ramsdale’s position as a member of the England squad, despite his limited playing time for Arsenal.
Ramsdale has lost his starting spot as Arsenal’s number-one to David Raya this season, putting his spot in the England squad for Euro 2024 at risk. Jordan Pickford continues to be England’s top goalkeeper, with Ramsdale currently within the top three. However, his lack of playing time could potentially lower his standing in the pecking order.
With several other goalkeepers in England playing regularly in the Premier League and other European competitions, Southgate might be inclined to select a goalkeeper with more match experience for the sake of fairness.
Arteta, on the other hand, argues that Southgate should base his decision on the goalkeepers’ performance over the last few seasons rather than solely on their recent playing time.
He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
“I don’t know how Gareth is thinking but if I put that situation into my eyes and my perspective and how I make a decision, I would judge Aaron not for what he has done in one day but what he has done in the last two or three seasons and the consistency he has shown, the quality he has shown.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Ramsdale’s lack of action at club level puts him at a high risk of not making the cut for Euro 2024 and we will all understand.
However, that decision can be left to Southgate alone and we hope he picks our second choice.
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