Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has bravely opened up about how he played in last season’s north London derby at Tottenham, just days after his wife had a miscarriage.
In an interview with the Players’ Tribune, Ramsdale has revealed his wife, Georgina, had the miscarriage shortly after last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The goalkeeper was offered compassionate leave by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Ramsdale has said the Spaniard went “above and beyond to make sure me and my family were OK”.
The 25-year-old, however, wanted to keep playing as it would help get his mind off the pain of what had just happened.
Three days later, Ramsdale played for Arsenal at Spurs and was man of the match as he kept a clean sheet in a 2-0.
“After the high of climbing to the top of the Premier League table and going off to my first World Cup, my wife and I found out that we were expecting our first child,” Ramsdale told the Players’ Tribune.
“Mikel gave me a few extra days off after the World Cup, so we went on a brief holiday. It was genuinely the happiest time of our lives.
“And yeah … there’s no easy way to say this, but I feel like it’s important that people know.…
“On the flight home, my wife had a miscarriage.
“There’s really no way that I can describe the pain of that six-hour flight back to London, even now.
“I just want people out there to know that they’re not alone if they’re going through it themselves.
“When we got back, I didn’t tell many people what happened. Only my family, my teammates, and of course Mikel.
“He was fantastic about everything. Even in the middle of the title race, with so much pressure on the club, he asked me if I needed some time off to deal with everything.
“Mikel went above and beyond to make sure me and my family were OK. For me, that’s a manager.
“We don’t always see eye-to-eye on everything. We have some very florid conversations about football sometimes.
“But he cares so much about his players, and he forever has my respect for how he handled our grief.
“Three days later, we were playing Spurs in the derby, and for me that was the only way to get my mind off things.
“Football has always been my escape. I told the manager I wanted to play. It couldn’t have been a better night.
“We won 2–0 under the floodlights, and our away fans were going absolutely ballistic. If you watch the match back, you can see me beaming at the final kick of the ball.
“I went to get my water bottle behind the goal, and never in a million years would I ever think that I’d get kicked in the back by a Tottenham fan.”
Ramsdale has revealed that his wife, Georgina, is now pregnant again and he hopes by sharing his story he can help others who have experienced the pain of a miscarriage.
The goalkeeper has also opened up about his family life and his brother, Oliver, who is gay.
Ramsdale received torrents of abuse when he signed for Arsenal in 2021 and he has explained how the homophobic nature of some of it impacted him.
“I’ve heard it all,” he said. “You can say almost anything about me, and I’ll have a laugh.
“I might even turn around and say something right back to you. But when it crosses a certain line into homophobia or hate, it’s simply wrong.
“Over the years, I’ve probably bit my tongue a few too many times — both in dressing rooms and on social media — whenever I hear homophobic comments or stupid things being said.
I don’t have many words to describe how this article has made me feel, pretty speechless and deeply moved ❤️ https://t.co/KtVTYHVUMk
— Oliver Ramsdale (@ollieramsdale) August 3, 2023
“And I think maybe my brother has done the same, thinking it would make my life easier.
“I want this game I love to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone. I want my brother, Ollie — or anyone of any sexuality, race or religion — to come to games without having to fear abuse.
“And when we lift a trophy at the Emirates Stadium, I want my brother there with me. What could the trolls tell us then? Not a thing.”
