Aaron Ramsdale Reveals His Goalkeeping Hero from Childhood

Goalkeeping idol from his days in the Bolton academy, and the in-form Arsenal star says he has modeled his positioning on the Finn.

Aaron Ramsdale has revealed that his goalkeeping idol growing up was Bolton legend Jussi Jaaskelainen.

During his five years in the Arsenal academy, the 24-year-old learned his trade from Jaaskelainen.

Before joining West Ham, Finnish goalkeeper Jaaskelainen made over 500 appearances for the Trotters.

And Ramsdale has revealed how important Jaaskelainen was in his development.

‘As I was going through the Bolton system, Jaaskelainen was a big part of my career,’ he told the club’s website. He was my first source of inspiration.’ Being able to watch him every other weekend at home games was obviously huge for me, as was becoming close family friends with him and being able to talk football with him and his son William, who is the same age as me, in the garden.

‘I’m still very close with them, but for me at that age to be around a Premier League player was huge. Also his coach at Bolton, Fred Barber, was the one who trained me at Stoke.

‘ He’s still coaching at Crewe after being at Bolton for years and has a goalkeeping school in Stoke, which is where I went before moving to Bolton.

‘So we had a connection with the Jaaskelainens through different people, and he was definitely an inspiration for me.’

Ramsdale is in the running for the Golden Glove award this season, having kept 12 clean sheets in the league.

When asked which traits he inherited from Jaaskelainen, he replied, “Things like my set position.”

‘Obviously, getting coached by the same coach that Jussi worked with in Fred, he stuck to his principles and taught all of the people who went to the goalkeeping school the same way.

‘So you are given the basis, but then you see someone in the Premier League doing it week in, week out and you know it’s working.

‘Probably the way I position my hands and legs are very similar to Jussi. I think it’s more subconscious though after years of training that way with Fred.’