Aaron Ramsdale has already impressed Newcastle United fans after signing on loan last month, having saved a penalty during a friendly at St James’ Park.
The shot-stopper was brought in to provide more quality and Champions League experience between the sticks, but there is hope that Aaron Ramsdale will replace Nick Pope in the future.
Ramsdale was Newcastle United’s second summer signing, but he will unlikely to have as much impact as major arrival Anthony Elanga in the Premier League next season. However, he is still a welcome addition given his reputation.
Despite having several goalkeepers on the books, it was clear that Newcastle needed another top goalkeeper if Pope was injured. After missing out on James Trafford to Manchester City, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe looked to Ramsdale, who was more than keen on reuniting with his former head coach.
Ramsdale impressed on his Newcastle debut, looking sharp on the ball and saving a penalty in the first half against Espanyol at St James’ Park last week. While Newcastle fans are one appealing factor, Ramsdale shared another reason why the move made so much sense to him.
Aaron Ramsdale missed working with Eddie Howe before Newcastle United move
Ramsdale admitted that people are already writing Newcastle off after struggling to make signings in the summer transfer window, but he was keen to ease the nerves and promise more success next term.
The 27-year-old has previously worked with Howe at Bournemouth, so the move to reunite the pair would have been seen as an obvious one to make by both parties. While Ramsdale played under the likes of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, he admitted there was nobody else like Howe.
“It is something that I have missed. I had a good chat with him and I told him how much I missed it,” he said in an interview with the Chronicle.
“The way Eddie Howe works and thinks and the intensity. I can remember little snippets of things we used to do.
“It brought a smile back to my face. It was like being back to normal for me.
“Just the way the coaching staff work, it is something I can just walk into and get going straight away.”
- Introducing Aaron Ramsdale… The ‘colourful’ goalkeeper reuniting with Eddie Howe at Newcastle United
What is Aaron Ramsdale’s role at Newcastle United?
With a busy 2025/26 season on the horizon, it made sense for Howe to bring in a player he is familiar with to the club in Ramsdale. The loan deal has an option to buy, so Newcastle will likely make Ramsdale’s move a permanent one if he proves to be a good asset to the club.
However, Ramsdale is not expected to be Newcastle’s first-choice this summer.
Instead, the belief is that Ramsdale will be second-choice behind Pope, although the former’s arrival does put more pressure on him to perform. At 33, Pope is still in the prime years of his career, and Howe will hope that he can recapture his form from the memorable 2022/23 campaign.
Failing that, Howe now has a top shot-stopper in Ramsdale to come in and do a job in Pope’s place.
Ramsdale has already won over the fans with his unseen antics, but he can become adored if he gets a chance to impress next season.
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