Euro 2024 qualifiers: New Wales captain Aaron Ramsey wants to reach 100 caps

1 year ago 53

Aaron Ramsey is handed the armband by Gareth Bale

Wales brag Rob Page says Aaron Ramsey's tendency to articulation Wales' 100-cap nine has influenced his determination to proceed his planetary career.

Page says Ramsey, 32, ne'er considered pursuing his team-mates successful retiring.

"It's the close happening to springiness him the armband, helium deserves it," Page said.

"He's been done a batch for Wales implicit the years, the important goals he's scored for us.

"Aaron is going to pb america now, he's been portion of this radical since time one."

Gunter, Bale and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey are the lone Wales men's players to person reached a period of caps.

"I deliberation it could beryllium a information for immoderate player, you would privation that milestone of getting to 100 caps," Page said.

"But for maine I've got to portion the emotions retired of it. I've got a world-class footballer - and connected his time helium is decidedly a world-class footballer - and I'm going to usage him portion I've got him.

"He is inactive susceptible of winning games of shot for america and could assistance america suffice for the Euros."

Wales statesman their European Championship qualifying run with a travel to look World Cup semi-finalists Croatia connected Saturday, 25 March, earlier hosting Latvia astatine the Cardiff City Stadium connected Tuesday, 28 March.

Aaron Ramsey arsenic Wales skipper shaking hands with England skipper John Terry

Ramsey volition pb Wales into a run for the 2nd time, arsenic helium was initially named arsenic Wales skipper by the precocious Gary Speed, but Chris Coleman replaced Ramsey with Ashley Williams arsenic skipper successful 2012.

Over a decennary later, Page says the honour of starring Wales means a immense magnitude to the Nice midfielder, who was "hurt" by the determination to instrumentality the armband disconnected him earlier successful his career.

"All the acquisition helium has had successful between, it makes him amended equipped," Page said.

"That was portion of my reasoning arsenic well, I was a protagonist myself then, watching it each unfold.

"I've been a skipper each my beingness and to person been fixed the armband and past had it taken disconnected you would person possibly wounded him a small bit.

"He's successful the close clip of his vocation present to spell and correspond Wales and pb the boys and amusement those young players what it is each about, what it means to correspond your country, and helium is relishing it."

'He volition perfectly deliver'

Page says Ramsey is already making his beingness felt arsenic Wales captain.

"He's been connected the telephone to america each different day," helium said.

"He perpetually wants to situation things and asks however we tin marque things better.

"He's truly enjoying the relation and has embraced each infinitesimal truthful acold of being the captain.

"He was truly appreciative of it, it means the satellite to him.

"He was successful France astatine the clip with his woman erstwhile I broke the quality to him and helium was elated, and helium sent maine a beauteous connection afterwards saying however arrogant helium was for him and his family.

"That's wherefore I cognize he's going to measurement up to the sheet and perfectly deliver."

Page admits helium volition person to show Ramsey's playing time, but says that did not power his captaincy decision.

"Can helium play astatine the top, apical level, 2 consecutive games successful a week? Probably not, we volition person to negociate that," Page said.

"He volition enactment himself guardant to bash that but arsenic a manager I'm paid to marque these decisions and I'll marque decisions that are close for the group.

"But with his quality, I've said this successful the past, I would wage to ticker him train.

"He's unthinkable and portion helium is inactive playing apical shot he's got a batch to springiness america and we are going to bent onto him for arsenic agelong arsenic we can."

Wales brag Page, who announced his squad earlier successful the day, said Nottingham Forest guardant Brennan Johnson is acceptable for enactment aft being withdrawn arsenic a precaution successful Forest's decision to Tottenham.

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