By Paul Jones
It will be interesting to see who is the proudest person leading out Wales in front of a packed house at Cardiff City Stadium against Latvia on Tuesday night – Wales skipper Aaron Ramsey or his seven-year-old son, Sonny.
Both got a taste of captaincy last weekend – Aaron with Wales in Croatia and Sonny with the pre-academy side at Cardiff Cosmos.
Hand in hand, they will march out together in their home city hoping to inspire Wales to victory.
“He has been really excited about me being captain again and he was captain of his local team for the first time last Saturday, which made it even more special,” said Ramsey.
“He will be coming out with me and it will be a really proud moment for me to do that in front of family and friends at a special stadium. It is going to be incredible.”
🗣️ "These moments are what we live for"
Wales captain Aaron Ramsey says it is huge to build momentum after his side scored late on to earn a draw against Croatia. pic.twitter.com/oBlBNpzmwc
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 27, 2023
Ramsey first held the captaincy in 2011 when he was only 20. Gary Speed gave him the armband then, but a year later Ashley Williams took charge.
“I was a lot more nervous back then. I’ve experienced a lot in the last 12-years, so it feels right now and I feel I am ready for this opportunity and I intend to grab it with both hands,” he added.
“We’ve got a job to do on Tuesday night to get three points and if we can do that it will make it an even more special occasion.”
Ramsey admits he learned a lot about leadership and captaincy from playing alongside Mikel Arteta when he was playing alongside him in the Arsenal midfield during his 11 years at the club.
Now, he hopes to see his old playing colleague turn into a Premier League winnings manager with the Gunners.
“You could see his leadership qualities when he was playing, the way he handled himself was second to none. You could always see he’d be a manager,” said Ramsey about Arteta, who completed his UEFA Licence at the FAW coaching school.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable what he’s done there, and of course I hope Arsenal win the league because I’m as much a fan as anybody.
“We used to talk about how impressed he was with Welsh set-up, which has done a fantastic job in helping to create top managers.”
Aaron Ramsey on new Wales era and captaincy.
🗣 “The World Cup was disappointing but we learned a lot from it. It’s exciting to be part of this squad.” pic.twitter.com/Ua3sjerxMi
— Phil Blanche 🏴 (@philblanche) March 20, 2023
Having picked up what manager Rob Page described as “a bonus point” with their 1-1 draw against Croatia in Split on Saturday night, the goal now is to make it four points from the opening two games by beating Latvia.
“Four points from the first two games would be a good start in what is an eight-game campaign. Croatia will hopefully react now and get a result against Turkey,” said Page.
The Croatians were stunned when Nathan Broadhead prodded home the equaliser two minutes from time last weekend to complete a dream debut for him.
🗣️ "We've dealt with Brennan"
Wales manager Rob Page says Brennan Johnson won't be joining the squad after the forward withdrew last week. pic.twitter.com/NP7w5t4tgA
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 27, 2023
If that point was a bonus, then picking up three more at home is imperative according to both Page and Ransey.
“It felt like a fresh start with the changes that have gone on. For us to start there with a point in one of the toughest games in the campaign was difficult, but it’s huge for us to get a point on the board and get some momentum,” added Ramsey.
“For us to put what happened in the World Cup behind us made it an important result. It was right up there with the many special nights we’ve had in recent years.
“It was a clean slate for us and a chance to make our own history again. It was another brilliant experience for us and something that helps to bond the team together.
“Now, it’s important we get the three points against Latvia by taking care of our home games. We’ve been able to do that quite well in previous campaigns.
“Latvia will be very disciplined and will try to hit us on the counter-attack. We want to dominate the ball and get the fans right behind us.
“I’m sure we will have plenty of the ball, and it’s up to us what we do with it. We want to be an attacking team who score as many goals as we can, but three points is the most important thing.
“We know it’s a difficult game, but one we’re feeling confident we can go into and capitalise on.”