“He was my early inspiration” – Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale names surprise childhood hero

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has revealed that his inspiration as a goalkeeper growing up was Bolton legend Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Jaaskelainen is one of Bolton's many legends, with his exploits at the club the stuff of folklore. The club paid £100,000 to sign him in 1997 when they were in the first division — the top division in England before the Premier League. The Finn was with the club for 15 years, until 2012. During that time, he made 519 appearances across competitions, keeping 142 cleansheets.

Ramsdale was in Bolton's youth system during Jaaskelainen's time at the club and he had a big influence on the Gunners star's development.

Speaking about Jaaskelainen's impact on his career, the Englishman told the Arsenal website:

“As I was going through the Bolton system Jaaskelainen was a big part of my career – he was my early inspiration. Being able to watch him every other weekend at the home games was obviously huge for me, and then becoming close family friends with him and being able to speak to him about football and play in the garden with him and his son William, who's the same age as me.

"I’m still very close with them, but for me at that age to be around a Premier League player was huge.”

Ramsdale acknowledged that many of Jaaskelainen's traits can be seen in him today, saying:

“Yes, things like my set position. Obviously getting coached by the same coach that Jussi worked with in Fred [Barber], he obviously stuck to his principles and taught all of the people who went to that goalkeeping school the same way.”

He added:

“So you are given the basis, but then you see someone in the Premier League doing it week in, week out, you know it’s working. So probably the way I position my hands and my legs are very similar to Jussi. I think it’s more subconscious though, after years of training that way with Fred.

"If you see it in people you look up to, you’ll try it, and if it sticks, it stays forever without you even thinking about it.”

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"Hopefully, I’ll never have to leave" - Aaron Ramsdale expresses desire to retire at Arsenal as a club legend

Aaron Ramsdale wants to stay at Arsenal for the rest of his career and become a club legend. If given the opportunity, he sees himself at the Emirates stadium for the next 15 years.

Speaking to BBC Sport London, Ramsdale expressed his desire to have stability in his career and said:

"This [Arsenal] is a place now where I can see myself for 10, 12, 15 years. That's the aim, that's the goal, that's the aim to stay at the top for that amount of time. Hopefully, I'll never have to leave and I'll become a real hero and legend at this football club."