YEAR OF THE RAMBO

Ramsey fired up to make 2018 the biggest and best year of his career for Arsenal and Wales

AARON RAMSEY is determined to make 2018 the biggest year of his career for club and country.

Ramsey finished the last campaign on a high with the dramatic winner in the FA Cup final and it was his goal in Serbia which kept Wales’ qualification hopes alive for Russia next summer. But the Arsenal midfielder, 26, is determined to make next season extra special as he sets his sights on more silverware and helping the Welsh reach their first World Cup finals since 1958. Ramsey – nicknamed Rambo – has a habit of being Arsenal’s man for the big occasion, having scored the FA Cup final winner against Hull in 2014 and he repeated the same trick last month against Chelsea. And there is no doubt in his mind he wants more next season, with the Gunners undoubtedly setting their sights on even bigger trophies. “It means a lot for us to win silverware and having something to show for your hard work. Hopefully there will be some more next season,” said Ramsey. “I love the competition and to score another FA cup winner was a great feeling – it’s living out your childhood dreams. “It was a great feeling to win the FA Cup again. We really wanted to finish the season on a high. We gave everything on the day to make sure we left that pitch with the trophy. “I’m always trying to improve as a player and will continue to try to do that.” Ramsey has become Arsenal’s go-to man at Wembley as they have won three FA Cups in the last four years, making Arsene Wenger the most successful manager in the competition’s history, while the club has won it a record 13 times. The star has battled through difficult times at the Emirates, as he is not always appreciated as a prolific goalscoring midfielder and more often seen as a scapegoat for the team’s failings. But he has acknowledged Wenger’s backing and support, making it clear he is happy the Frenchman (with Ramsey at Wembley, above) is staying on as manager. Ramsey has also insisted it is important that the club has a “real good go” to win more trophies next season. He revelled in the new tactical set-up at Arsenal when Wenger switched to a back three in the final weeks of the season, and it was the catalyst for a remarkable run-in to win the FA Cup, while just missing out on the top four on the final day of the campaign. But it is also clear the Welshman enjoys the extra responsibility of playing for his country and he firmly believes Chris Coleman can qualify for the World Cup. They have the odds stacked against them, despite getting a point in Serbia earlier this month, but Ramsey says they can take confidence from Euro 2016 when they defied expectations to reach the semi-finals. He said: “We know what we need to do to achieve our dream of playing in the World Cup. The Euros did inspire us and of course we still believe. There are still a lot of points up for grabs and we are going to give everything to get them. “It would mean so much for us to qualify for the World Cup. We would love to experience that. “I love playing for my country and the responsibilities that come with that. “We have a great team who all get along brilliantly. The Euros showed with hard work and quality you can achieve great things. We always knew what we were capable of. Then to go out there and show that throughout the Euros just gave us the belief and confidence that we can compete with the best going forward. “We gained a bit of momentum and a lot of confidence from it going into the World Cup campaign. The key was togetherness. Everyone works their socks off for each other and leaves everything on that pitch. “Put that together with the way we can play when we’ve got the ball and we are a very dangerous team. Our fans were fantastic all tournament and definitely our 12th man.”