Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey: The fitting send-off

Aaron Ramsey scored his third goal at Wembley in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Spurs on Saturday. While it is sad to see him leave, let’s hope that he can have a fitting send-off between now and the end of the year.

So much has been written about the impending departure of Aaron Ramsey. The mismanagement of his contract, allowing it to run into its final two years. The wasteful spending of Arsenal in other areas, including £350,000-a-week on Mesut Ozil. The debate over whether he is truly a ‘club legend’ or not, whatever that actually means.

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Ever since his reported £400,000-a-week deal with Juventus was officially announced in February, the discussion has centred on a particular, rather cold-hearted aspect of his exit. There has been a ruthless, analytical element to it. The human aspect has been overlooked.

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It is easy to forget, but Ramsey is leaving a place where he became a man. He was just 17 years of age when he arrived in north London. He was leaving his city of birth, he was moving to the hustle and bustle of the capital, all after rejecting the advances of the greatest manager in the world. 11 years later, in an era in which club loyalty has scuttled out the window as quickly as the grace and decorum that goes with it, Ramsey is still with the very same organisation.

The place that Ramsey holds in the modern history of the club is a high one. He has scored two FA Cup final goals. He is the highest scoring midfielder in history. He is the longest-serving player in the current squad. These are landmarks and achievements that should not be merely brushed over without recognition or praise.

In the insatiable world of football that forever looks forward and rarely takes time to reflect, Ramsey, this season at least, seems to have been forgotten about. The Mesut Ozil mess, the questions of progress under Unai Emery, the hunt for the top four. These have been the topics of the season. Not the brilliance of a marauding midfielder coming to an end.

And that is why Saturday was so nice. Ramsey scored the Gunners’ only goal in the 1-1 draw in the North London Derby. It was his third at Wembley, with him reportedly saying that the stadium is his house, and came against his most bitter rivals, rivals that he ripped apart the first time around after squaring up to Eric Dier while warming up.

It will be sad to see Ramsey leave. Whether he is worth keeping, from a purely footballing standpoint, remains to be seen. There are reasonable arguments for and against. But just to put the analytical element to one side for a little and to focus solely on the humanity of the story, Ramsey’s exit is a detriment to the club.

So days like Saturday where we, as fans, get to reflect a little on the brilliant career of Ramsey are refreshing, a throwback to the romanticism of football that is rarely featured in the modern game. Ramsey deserves a send-off, and Saturday was a perfect part of that.