Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale says that if manager Mikel Arteta wants him to be captain, he would step forward and lead the team.
Former Gunners skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left in January with Alexandre Lacazette given the armband until the end of the season. With the French forward nearing the end of his contract, however, the role is up for grabs – and Ramsdale said that he'd love to be considered for it.
"Listen, I’d take the responsibility but that’s down to the manager," Ramsdale told FFT in the latest issue, an Arsenal special featuring interviews with Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli, too. "We’ve got a lot of strong characters, though, and a lot of people who I think would be good captains."
"Just to be told 'you’re in a leadership role' – I’d relish whatever. You never turn down a captaincy and I think I’d excel if I was given the armband, but that’s down to the boss."
The former Bournemouth and Sheffield United star is having an outstanding season between the sticks for the north Londoners and told FFT all about his relationship with Ben White and the chip shop advert that he filmed earlier this year.
When discussing his good form, however, the England international said that he still doesn't feel like he's actually arrived – and that he keeps having to push himself in order to stay ahead of the other goalkeepers at the club in the pecking order.
"With Bernd Leno pushing me every day, I know I can’t sit back and take it easy, because he’ll take the No.1 spot off me just as quickly as I took it off him," Ramsdale says. "He’s been good with me – we fight for the same spot, but we have each other’s backs too. For me, it’s not about what happens months into the first season – I’d prefer to be judged four or five years down the line.
"I thought [that becoming the no.1] would be a process of four months, maybe a year, but I was ready. I felt settled straight away, knowing some of the lads, and the manager made it so easy for me by saying, 'Just go and play your game.' Once I’d got in, it was so comfortable for me to do my stuff.
"The fans have been absolutely amazing with me, too. There was obviously a bit of unrest when I signed – people were talking about me being a second-choice goalkeeper, costing a lot of money and the relegations – but that just gave me added motivation to win them over."
Issue 338 of FourFourTwo is out next Thursday in the shops and available online.
For a limited time, you can get five copies of FourFourTwo for just £5! The offer ends on May 2, 2022.
Restock your kit bag with the best deals for footballers on Amazon right now
ALSO READ
SCREAMERS The 10 greatest England goals of all-time
RANKED Every England Nike shirt ever
THREE LIONS 10 uncapped players who could be in Southgate's plans for Qatar
