The ease with which Aaron Ramsdale settled into the Arsenal dressing room has been key to his early success at the club, the goalkeeper has said.
England international Ramsdale joined the Gunners less than eight months ago and yet he has already settled into being one of the most prominent figures at the Emirates Stadium - something he puts down to his rapid adaptation period.
“Signing for Arsenal was an easy decision looking at the size of the club and the manager that they have,” he stated.
“Seeing friendly faces that I’ve played with and known for a long time always helps in any walk of life.
“I felt included straight away and I didn’t have to shy away in the corner waiting for someone to talk to me.
“It allowed me to be myself and settle in quickly and it is one of the reasons why I have managed to make an impact this season.”
Ramsdale detailed his integration into the Arsenal squad, aided by fellow Three Lions stars Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - and an initiation rap in front of the whole squad.
“With the Arsenal lads in the England squad, it helped me settle in quickly,” he continued. “Similarly, that also helped the other lads when they came on to the England side like when Emile Smith-Rowe made his debut - we look out for each other.
“It’s quite natural for all of us off the pitch and we really get on. Bukayo Saka was the first person to greet me when I came to Arsenal so having him in the squad was a great help.
“For England, Gareth creates a family orientated atmosphere and that’s what it feels like when you meet up with the entire squad – long may that continue.
“One of the big differences was at Arsenal. All new members have to get up in front of the squad and sing, and I went for the Fresh Prince rap. There are a lot of languages in the dressing room so I went with something everyone would know as I don’t think my 1970s and 80s music would’ve gone down too well.”
