In Arsenal's victory over Leicester, Aaron Ramsdale made one of his best saves, but the goalkeeper's father really missed it for the best reason.
Since his arrival, Aaron Ramsdale has been a fantastic improvement for Arsenal's goalkeeping unit. He quickly replaced Bernd Leno in the position due to both his consistently better distribution and his ability to block shots.
Ramsdale has developed something of a cult following, in large part because of his comical antics between the sticks and videos that have gone viral and are currently trending. Ramsdale is a character that the club are grateful to have, from joining in with disparaging shouts about himself to scooping up spare change thrown at him from the seats behind him.
So much so that, after fewer than two complete seasons, a new deal for the current Arsenal starter shows just how good he has been. It goes on to describe his assimilation into the club and how much he has contributed to its culture.
His father, Nick Ramsdale, achieved prominence for his appearance in the Amazon All or Nothing series, which followed Aaron's (who I shall refer to as such to prevent confusion) first season with the club and became almost as well-known as the Arsenal goalie.
Nick, wearing a fez-like headgear, could be seen battling the pressure of seeing his son play for one of the biggest clubs in the nation. A blessing that very few people will ever experience, as well as what appears to be a bit of a curse.
The victory versus Leicester City at the King Power Stadium was one of the season high points highlighted in the documentary series. Ramsdale made a save from a James Maddison free-kick that will go down as one of the season's best, and even though I was present to watch the game... Nick was absent.
Kevin Campbell, a former Arsenal striker, and Sophie Nicolaou were guests on the Highbury Squad, and Nick shared the fascinating account of how it all came about. More than anything else, he will undoubtedly look back on this with sorrow. The only exception might be his son's professional career.
Nick quips that he told his wife, "I would like to say I was in the queue to use the loo." But he admits, "Unfortunately, I was in the queue to get a beer because I couldn't take any more," he continues.
Then, on the balcony on the way back, as you descend to the bar, a man yelled, "What a super expletive save it was!" When I asked "Who," he responded, "Ramsdale!"
Nick continues, "Could have possibly started crying, but if I had, I would have missed my opportunity to get a beer."
If I were to speak only for myself, there used to be very little that could keep me from a cold drink and the football, but Nick may have taken it to a new level. In all seriousness, Nick's concern while watching his kid play has become part of the legend surrounding the Arsenal custodian today, and I believe we can all pardon him for this offence. Aaron, on the other hand, might require more persuasion.
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