Sheffield United's Aaron Ramsdale and the embarrassing incident responsible for transforming his outlook

The day he realised it wasn’t simply enough to enjoy the glamour. The second, sitting alone at home on the outskirts of Bournemouth when it dawned on him the sacrifices required to become a Premier League footballer.

“We’d drawn Chelsea in the cup and I’d be named in the squad,” Ramsdale remembers, describing the incident responsible for transforming his career. “But to be honest, I wasn’t doing the things that I should have been doing. I’d been going out partying and only messing about at it really.

“Anyway, because of all that I ended up missing the bus. I’m not proud to admit it now but I ended up sleeping in. That’s pretty unheard of really and obviously people weren’t happy. My dad came down to see me, we had a bit of a chat, and that was what made me grow up to be honest.”

Two years later, as he charts his journey from Sheffield United to Dorset and back again, it becomes apparent that Ramsdale is now a much more rounded and mature individual than the starry-eyed youngster whose tardiness infuriated Eddie Howe. With 80 senior appearances under his belt, nearly half of those coming in the top-flight last season, the former Steelphalt Academy graduate has developed into one of England’s most promising goalkeepers. Chris Wilder is clearly impressed; paying an eight figure sum to re-acquire Ramsdale’s services following Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship. It is a show of faith the player is determined to repay, having been granted the opportunity to return to the club where he first turned professional in 2016.

“I always wanted to come back,” Ramsdale admits, as he casts his eyes across a near deserted Bramall Lane. “In my head, that was how I planned it but I didn’t know if it would be at the back end of my time in the game or as coach maybe when I’d retired. So to get the chance now, well really it’s just brilliant. I wasn’t looking to leave Bournemouth. I was really happy down there and things were going well personally for me. Then again, I never really wanted to leave United in the first place either.”

A more muscular frame and designer jogging suit apart, Ramsdale remains instantly recognisable to those who tracked his progress through United’s youth system before, after representing them twice in the FA Cup, he was lured to the south coast for a fee of around £800,000 midway through Wilder’s first season at the helm. The lure of top-flight football proved difficult to resist and the money, given they were still in the third tier at the time, too good for United to turn down. Three years on, however, the change in his personality becomes immediately apparent during a series of newspaper, radio and television interviews.

“I’m much more grown up now,” Ramsdale confesses. “Back then I was just a kid, sitting on the bench and watching the lads here go out and win nearly every single week. Now, after being down at Bournemouth, I’m much more professional and probably more forward too. I’ve come on a lot, not only on the pitch but off it as well, and I think that was important. I had to do it. I’m more focused, more concentrated and a better pro. Hopefully, I’d like to think I’ve learnt a fair bit about the business, the goalkeeping business as well.”

“When I first went down to Bournemouth, I was just a kid,” Ramsdale continues. “I didn’t really know what I was doing, I can see that looking back. I’m a man now though. I know what it takes and I’m enjoying doing it.”

After completing loan spells with Chesterfield, where he worked under United’s new academy director Jack Lester, and AFC Wimbledon, Ramsdale had done enough to convince Howe he was ready to be pitched into Bournemouth’s starting eleven. It was a measure of both his progress - and the former manager’s belief in his ability - that Ramsdale was selected ahead of Artur Boruc, Asmir Begovic and Mark Travers - the man set to take his place at The Vitality Stadium. Boruc, previously of Celtic, Fiorentina and Southampton, was clearly a big influence and, revealing how some important words of advice from the former Poland international helped turn his life around, Ramsdale also reveals the 40-year-old’s counsel has equipped him with the tools required to fill Dean Henderson’s gloves at Bramall Lane. On loan from Manchester United, Henderson was a driving force behind United’s rise out of the Championship and ninth placed finish in the Championship last term.

“Artur, you listened to him because, to still be in the game at 40, doing what he’s doing, he clearly knows what it takes,” Ramsdale says. “I’m lucky enough to have always had really good mentors in terms of the ‘keepers I’ve worked with. There was Mark Howard and George Long, who were here before I left to go to Bournemouth, and then there was Simon Moore who is still around. I had a spell at Bolton when I was really young and Jussi Jaaskelainen was brilliant with me too.

“Artur, though, he just told me to be myself, to look in the mirror and be my own ‘keeper Deano and I know each other well and we’re mates. Although we’ve got some of the same attributes, we’re different people and players though. It’s inevitable that people are going to compare us but we’re not the same. I want to replicate what he’s done here and do even better. That’s the aim.”

Ramsdale, aged 22, was a rare success story at Bournemouth last season - embellishing his reputation with a series of impressive displays which confirmed why, during his time in United’s youth programme, many observers predicted he is destined to win full international honours. His top-flight debut came against Wilder’s side on the opening weekend of the campaign. Although Bournemouth were unable to avoid the drop, United, who drew that match 1-1, defied predictions they were also certain to struggle by challenging for European qualification.

“I’ve changed but this club, well, it’s changed too,” Ramsdale says. “Not totally, it’s still the same faces because everything has happened so quickly which was brilliant to see because I always kept in touch. It’s still the same family orientated club it always was. But it’s really going places. It’s a club on the up and I can’t wait to get out there and properly started.”

An important message: Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city. Once again, thank you. James.