Exclusive: Aaron Ramsey spills the beans on Juventus, the South Wales derby, and his emotional return to Cardiff City

At Cardiff City's training centre, which they share with the Wales national team, Aaron Ramsey truly feels at home. Observing his surroundings, he exudes a calm demeanor, eagerly anticipating his return to the game after facing more challenges than he had hoped for.

"It's an amazing feeling," he exclaims to We, after being bestowed with the Goal of the Month award for August in the Sky Bet Championship. His remarkable strike against Leicester, which marked his long-awaited first goal in 12 years for the club he grew up supporting, has brought immense joy.

Returning to where everything began and being reunited with my loved ones filled me with immense excitement. The timing couldn't have been more ideal, and I am thoroughly enjoying every single moment of it. I made every effort to seize the opportunity to come back here, and now I am only a mere 20 minutes away from my hometown. It feels wonderful to be back.

Being separated from my family had a significant influence on me. During my time in Scotland and France, they remained here, and it proved to be incredibly challenging for me.

Following his departure from Arsenal in 2019, Ramsey made his way to Juventus. Nevertheless, during his three-year stint, he only secured 25 starts in Serie A and scored five goals.

Injuries have consistently plagued his career, but he remains regret-free.

"Undoubtedly, maintaining fitness proved challenging on numerous occasions, and injuries hindered my ability to establish a consistent performance," he explains.

Image:

Ramsey spent three years at Juventus

"But overall I'm proud of what I achieved there and grateful for the experience of playing for one of the powerhouses of Europe. I won everything I could.

"And it was a truly remarkable experience for me and my family to immerse ourselves in the vibrant Italian culture."

"In the previous season, he ventured into France with Nice, but unfortunately, injuries limited his participation to only 18 starts in Ligue 1."

He states that it was a positive encounter for him, serving as a valuable chance to partake in European competitions. He also mentions the presence of several other individuals from Britain at the same location, who proved to be supportive and remarkable during his time there. He greatly appreciates the opportunity to play in that particular setting and finds no flaws in the experience.

Image:

Aaron Ramsey in action for Nice in France last season

Ramsey's return to the Championship has been promising thus far. With two goals in just five appearances, he is off to a strong start. He has been particularly impressed by the league's overall quality and the noticeable evolution since his last participation in 2011.

"There has been a significant shift in teams opting to play from the back, whereas it was more common to take a direct approach during my previous stint," he remarks.

The quality has significantly improved, and the relegated teams are extremely formidable. It is a thrilling league.

Nevertheless, there will still be matches that are more physical and straightforward. We must be prepared to be competitive and resilient in the face of any challenge.

Cardiff's biggest game is up next when they face their South Wales rivals, Swansea, at home on Saturday night. The match will be broadcasted live on We Football starting from 7.30pm. Ramsey, having previous experience in this fixture, assisted the winning goal for Craig Bellamy back in February 2011 when he was on loan at Cardiff from Arsenal. The victory was secured on enemy territory, resulting in a 1-0 win for Cardiff.

"It was an amazing day for us, the way we played and the victory we achieved," he reminisces. "Being a part of these incredible occasions is truly extraordinary. Winning only heightens their significance."

This is Ramsey's initial experience of the intense rivalry on home ground. Moreover, a fixture that used to have a balanced outcome has now shifted dramatically in favor of Swansea in recent years.

For nearly 100 years until 2021 neither side had done the double over the other in one season. Since, Swansea have won four in a row.

Image:

Aaron Ramsey in action for Cardiff City in 2011.

Ramsey is determined to put that right.

"It's all set up nicely," he says. "For us to come away with a win would be huge for us and the fans, because it's been a difficult few years.

"We have fallen short for an extended period, and it is our responsibility to deliver an outstanding performance. We must take it upon ourselves to achieve a favorable outcome."

"And what about beyond a victory in the derby? Ramsey possesses a couple of distinct aspirations..."

He says that the Premier League is the top league globally, and he expresses his longing for it over the past few years. His goal is to assist Cardiff in returning to the Premier League. The club has had brief experiences in the league previously, and their aspiration is to reach that level again.

The club is generating a great deal of enthusiasm. I believe we are close to achieving our goals, but we need to establish a consistent performance.

And if they manage to reach that point, he would be open to coming back and leading his team at Arsenal. Perhaps even sooner if they have a favorable draw in the FA Cup, a tournament in which he secured victory three times with the Gunners, including achieving the winning goal in the finals of 2014 and 2017.

"That would be nice!" he says. "Strange things like this can happen. Who knows, maybe we'll get them in the third round."