Aaron Ramsdale has revealed that David Raya was one of the first people to text him after his summer transfer to Southampton.

The 26-year-old shot stopper made a name for himself with the likes of Sheffield United and Bournemouth before making the move to the Emirates Stadium in 2021. Initially a stalwart under Mikel Arteta, the Ramsdale made 89 appearances for the Gunners, keeping 32 clean sheets and helping the side achieve a second place finish in the 2022/23 campaign.

However, Raya’s arrival from Brentford on loan during the 2023/24 campaign shut Ramsdale out of the starting XI with emphatic performances of his own. His move was made permanent in the summer, leaving his ex-team-mate with little option to make a move in a bid to play first-team football, doing so in a £25million switch to Southampton at the end of August.

While being replaced by an older and more experienced goalkeeper could have left a bitter taste in Ramsdale’s mouth, he has admitted that he actually had a good relationship with the Spaniard at Arsenal. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, he revealed: “He was actually the first person to text me on my move here from the boys at Arsenal.

Ramsdale explained that he had hoped to enjoy a similar career to Arsenal legend David Seaman, who spent 13 years in north London. He added: “I did an interview with David Seaman about my new contract, and I wanted to emulate him and be there for eight, ten years. And a couple of months later, I was out of the team. I tried my hardest to dislodge David [Raya] out of the team.”