Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey is hoping to keep his love affair with The Emirates FA Cup burning strongly as they prepare for Sunday’s semi-final against Manchester City.
The Welshman scored the winner for the Gunners in their FA Cup triumph over Hull City in 2014 and was involved again a year later when they beat Aston Villa by 4-0.
And prior to that, a 17-year-old Ramsey appeared at Wembley for Cardiff City in the 2008 Final, when the Bluebirds lost to Portsmouth.
“I love this competition,” Ramsey told the official match programme.
“I think you have a number of good stories throughout the rounds and yes, it has been good for me. I’ve played in three Finals, and hopefully I could be lifting The Cup for the third time.”
Few players get to play in three FA Cup Finals, let alone four. Of course, Arsenal’s wins in 2014 and 2015 are fresh in the memory but it’s Ramsey’s first, with Cardiff, that he argues played a pivotal role in his development.
“I think because I was younger I was just enjoying every moment of it and took it in my stride really. I was just itching to get out there and perform,” he explained.
“I had half-an-hour at the end to go out and show what I could do, so I was very grateful of the opportunity.
“It was a great moment for me and the club. It definitely helped me get used to the surroundings at an early age and experience what it’s like to play in that sort of pressure game.
“I’ve taken that with me and I’ve been lucky enough to win two FA Cups, so I love this competition.”
For both Arsenal, and Sunday’s opponents Manchester City, The FA Cup represents the only chance of silverware this season.
So Ramsey and his team-mates are under no illusion as to how important the match at Wembley is going to be as they battle to salvage their season.
“This is massive for us, it’s going to be important for us to finish the season strongly and hopefully have a Final to look forward to,” he added.
“It has been a quite difficult season. There are a lot of things being said at the moment but we have to stand up for ourselves and get back on track as quickly as possible.
“There’s still a lot at stake and it’s important now to put ourselves right.”
Read the full interview with Ramsey in the official match programme for Sunday’s game. Click here to purchase a copy now.
