I played over 300 games for Arsenal…but nearly chose to play rugby instead!
Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey had a big career decision to make as a teenager as he had to choose between a career in football or rugby.
The Gunners great, now 34 and with Mexican club Pumas UNAM, was actually a very accomplished rugby player, and it seems he strongly considered pursuing that instead of becoming a footballer.
He’ll surely be glad he made the choice he did, having gone on to enjoy a great career at the highest level, with 64 goals and five trophies in 369 appearances for Arsenal.
Ramsey also played for Juventus, winning Serie A, and won 86 caps for the Welsh national team, representing his country at two European championships and earning the captaincy once Gareth Bale retired.
Aaron Ramsey on his time playing rugby
Speaking to the Daily Mail a few years ago, Ramsey spoke about his time playing rugby and how it also influenced his style of play in football.
“I like to think I would have made it if I’d chosen rugby,” Ramsey said.
“I started off playing rugby league as well as union. I switched between fly-half and wing but I preferred to play fly-half. I liked to be at the heart of everything. I liked to be involved.
“I was a good reader of a rugby match. I could kick, too. Playing football obviously helped me with striking a ball, and I enjoyed the physical side of it. I think that has helped me overcome my injury problems but out there on the rugby pitch I liked things to come through me.”
Of course, there’ll be plenty of football fans who also like to watch a bit of rugby from time to time, so there’ll perhaps be a few interested in paying a visit to Liverugbytickets.co.uk to get a look at what games are available and coming up in the near future.
Footballers who dabbled in other sports
Ramsey was clearly a keen rugby player, and he’s not the only footballer who dabbled in other sports.
We all know about his former Welsh teammate Bale’s love for golf, while his former Arsenal colleague Petr Cech was notably also a hockey goalkeeper.
Another famous example is Paolo Maldini, one of the all-time great defenders of European football, who was also a very good tennis player and even qualified for a professional tournament in 2017.
On top of that, there was also Rio Ferdinand’s brief foray into professional boxing, while Joe Hart tried his hand at cricket.
The post I played over 300 games for Arsenal…but nearly chose to play rugby instead! appeared first on CaughtOffside.