Arsenal’s goal machine admits: “I did lose my confidence”

Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has admitted that he lost his confidence in the period after recovering from the horrific leg break that he sustained against Stoke City in 2010, and that his confidence is only just recovering. In an interview with Football Focus, Ramsey spoke of the psychological effects of sustaining such an injury at such a young age.

“It was very difficult. Obviously I was reassured by all the medical staff that I would come back. That was one thing getting over it, but obviously when you’re back running you feel certain things that aren’t working properly and you feel a bit heavy footed.”

“Psychologically it was massive and I think it took me a few years to get over that – up until last season I think and that’s when I finally got over it.”

“I think going through things like that is only going to make you stronger as a person, and now I’ve been through the worst that can happen to a player on a pitch. “

Ramsey feels that his explosive start to the season has been down to finally shrugging off the effects of the injury on his confidence, and he feels that the good form of both him and the team as a whole can continue.

“Things are just happening naturally now on the pitch – like they used to – whereas maybe I tried to force things when things weren’t going right in games, when I did lose my confidence and I’m still mentally overcoming that. But now I feel like I’m in control of what I’m doing out there.”

“When you’re playing well you tend to make the right decisions most of the time. Things happen naturally and easy and that’s what’s happening at the moment.”

“I’ve always felt that I’ve got into those positions through my career, but have been a bit rash in front of goal. Now I feel a lot more confident and in control of the situation when I’m in front of goal, and I’m sticking the ball in the back of the net.”

“We’ve suffered from having bad starts in the past and always had to play catch-up. This season we’ve done ever so well to put ourselves in this position early on. If we get ourselves there and thereabouts this Christmas period, then I think we’ll have a chance to do something special this year.”

Only Yaya Toure has made more passes than Ramsey in this season’s Premier League.