"I think I’d excel if I was given the armband"- Arsenal star says he is ready to take up the 'responsibility' of being a captain 

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale believes he will "excel" if he is made the club's captain by manager Mikel Arteta. The England international has had a stellar season since joining the Gunners from Sheffield United last summer. He has displayed strength on the pitch, often guiding his defenders and commanding his box.

The Gunners, meanwhile, have a captaincy conundrum on their hands after this season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy in December after his fallout with Arteta. His disciplinary breaches also saw him being left out of the team and his contract was eventually terminated in January. He then joined Barcelona.

Since his departure, Alexandre Lacazette has been handed the captain's armband, with Kieran Tierney taking over as vice-captain.

Speaking to FourFourTwo about being the potential club captain, Ramsdale said:

"Listen, I’d take the responsibility but that’s down to the manager. We’ve got a lot of strong characters, though, and a lot of people who I think would be good captains."

He added:

"Just to be told 'you’re in a leadership role' – I’d relish whatever. You never turn down a captaincy and I think I’d excel if I was given the armband, but that’s down to the boss."

Ramsdale is currently out due to a muscle injury and could be out for a couple of weeks, as per Arteta (via Sky Sports).

---

Ramsdale has been key in Arsenal's push for Premier League top four

The Gunners started their season losing three games in a row with Bernd Leno between the sticks. However, since Ramsdale joined the squad, he has made the position his own.

The English goalkeeper has kept 12 clean sheets in 24 appearances in the Premier League so far this season. He is currently third on the list so far this season, behind Ederson Moraes and Alisson Becker, both with 16. In the process, he has pulled off some stellar saves as well.

Arsenal currently sit in fourth position in the league table. They are three points above Tottenham Hotspur in fifth and four above Manchester United in sixth. The Gunners have also played one more game than both their top-four competitors.

However, Arteta's men are scheduled to play both teams in the coming weeks in what could be deciders for the top four positions.

Arsenal fans will hope that Ramsdale, who is currently out with a hip injury, returns soon as they continue to push for Champions League football for the first time since the 2016-17 season.