Ramsdale wants to send Man Utd Laa-Laa as Bournemouth ace reveals hopes of following Pickford’s path
AARON RAMSDALE plans to follow in Jordan Pickford’s footsteps by going from lower league nobody to England No 1.
Three Lions star Pickford had loan spells at the likes of non-league Darlington and Alfreton Town before last summer helping his country reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Only six months ago Ramsdale, 21, was playing a starring role in Wimbledon’s miracle relegation escape in League One.
Today, he can notch up a hat-trick of successive top-flight clean sheets when Bournemouth host Manchester United.
Ramsdale, who also had a stint at Chesterfield, reckons being bashed about by the likes of 16-stone powerhouse striker Adebayo Akinfenwa while at the Wombles has helped his rapid rise to stardom.
The 6ft 2in keeper said: “One of my biggest strengths is coming for crosses, making mistakes and forgetting about it.
“I would not have got that if I did not go to those clubs. I came up against Akinfenwa twice, James Hanson day in, day out in training.
“If I did not go there, I don’t think I would be half the keeper I am today.
“You can say that about a lot of people — Jordan Pickford went on great loans and is now England’s No 1. They are definitely stepping stones for people to go out and ply their trade.”
Ramsdale was so far down the Cherries’ pecking order that he had to plead with the club to get the Premier League to add him into their Fantasy League game this summer.
Jostling fellow rookie Mark Travers, 20, and veteran Artur Boruc, 39, the England Under-21s ace cashed in on Asmir Begovic’s alarming dip in form to steal the goalkeeping jersey for their first game of the season.
And he has never looked back.
Ramsdale, who signed a bumper new long-term contract at Bournemouth last month, added: “You really do need a lot of luck in football.
“What happened last year was not nice for my fellow goalkeepers, but in other words it is a chance for me to come in and impress.
“The fact I went out and somehow we stayed up with Wimbledon, and I played a big part in that, my confidence got better and better. And my performances got better and better. It just fell into place and luckily in pre-season I got the nod.”
Ramsdale’s stellar performances for Bournemouth have already alerted England boss Gareth Southgate.
The confident Midlander is an outside shout for a place in Southgate’s squad for next summer’s European Championship.
Asked if he has ambitions to play for the Three Lions, Ramsdale said: “It is an aspiration for definite.
“But I need to make sure I am playing well at my club first.
“Hopefully that will take care of itself without me thinking about it too much
“I am still young and have only played a handful of games. I want to continue to do that without too many distractions. If a call-up comes, I will be delighted.”
Bournemouth under Eddie Howe have always been renowned for being able to score goals — but keeping them out at the other end has been their Achilles heel.
After two clean sheets in a row in goalless draws with Watford and Norwich, Ramsdale is keen to change that.
With the Cherries sitting ninth, level on points with seventh-placed United, he added: “Clean sheets are what we work towards every week.
“One goal can come off someone’s knee, or someone can put it in the top corner, and all that hard work comes undone.
“But to get a clean sheet is a really nice feeling. We did not keep enough last year. I’ve now come in and it is my job to keep more.
“That is one part of my armoury and hopefully we can get some more.”
The visit of United will pit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against his former protege Joshua King.
Solskjaer recommended King to then-United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when he moved to Old Trafford as a teenager.
And Ramsdale reckons his Cherries team-mate is improving all the time.
He explained: “His finishing has improved and he can now find both corners — before I used to be able to read where he was going.
“Now, he can give you the eyes, he can whip it, he can smash it and he has everything. Hold-up play, strength, speed.
“If he can get back to the scoring numbers he had two years ago, he can go on to big, big things.
“For now, we want him to stay with Bournemouth and score goals for us.”
And he aims to send Manchester United’s strikers Laa-Laa after dressing as a TELETUBBIE in the crowd at Wembley.
The fun-loving Bournemouth keeper, 21, donned the comedy costume to join Tranmere-supporting pals at last season’s League Two play-off final win over Newport.
But while the England Under-21 ace is clearly a joker off the pitch, Cherries boss Eddie Howe says he is definitely not Dipsy on it.
Ahead of hosting United today, Howe said: “Aaron is slightly larger than life, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he went as a Teletubbie. The big thing from Aaron’s point of view is as much as he has that clown, joking side, there is a serious side to his personality.
“And that is his football — his goalkeeping.
“There is a line to be drawn there and that is where he has made the biggest improvement.
“Around the training ground and his day-to-day conduct, he’s been absolutely on it.
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“Off the pitch, as long as it’s within rules and he’s not doing something that would affect his professionalism, that is just his character coming through.
“It is a big boost to have energisers — people who make others laugh and don’t take themselves too seriously. That can be a good thing.
“But it must be at the right times because a keeper has such a responsibility. You need to be secure, trustworthy and make good decisions.”