I was Arsenal hero but Nottingham Forest move didn't work out - I had more nights out than games

When Aaron Ramsey left Arsenal permanently in the summer of 2019, he left the Gunners with fond memories.

Perhaps his crowning achievement came in the 2014 FA Cup final as he scored the extra-time winner which completed a miraculous comeback in a 3-2 victory over Hull City at Wembley Stadium. The Welshman would lift a further two FA Cups during his stint in North London as well as three Community Shields before moving to pastures new.

However in 2010, there was little knowing how his Arsenal career would pan out. Ramsey had been signed from Cardiff in 2008 but a double leg break had sidelined him for nine months and he needed to regain fitness.

Fortunately, an opportunity to move to Nottingham Forest was presented to Ramsey while the East Midlands club were in the Championship. Their manager at the time, Billy Davies, hailed the signing of the Welshman as a coup but things did not turn out as planned.

Reflecting last month on his brief time in Nottingham, Ramsey told Sky Sports how it did not quite work out the way he had envisaged. "I just came back from my leg break so I needed to go out somewhere to play a few games, but it wasn't to be," he explained.

"I think two or three of the games were called off due to the snow, so it didn't pan out to be what we hoped for. I had more nights out than games.

"Gunts [Chris Gunter] is one of my best mates so he had a word with the manager, and they said: ‘Yeah, come along and we'll help’ because you could do a month loan back then. I went there and didn't quite know how I was going to come back, I didn't really want to go back to Cardiff just in case that jeopardised something."

Between November 25 and New Year's Eve, Ramsey would make five appearances for Forest but only completed one full 90 minutes in his final match against Ipswich Town. He would return to Arsenal before another loan spell this time at his beloved Cardiff before returning to the Gunners and pressing on.

Since then, Ramsey has represented Rangers and Nice before finding himself back at Cardiff who he rejoined in July 2023. This season, he has made four appearances for the Bluebirds but his last game came in August after picking up a serious hamstring injury.

As for Forest, they are now back in the Premier League and travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to move back into the Champions League spots. The two clubs are only separated by a goal before kick off with the Gunners desperate for victory after slipping nine points behind Liverpool in the title race before the international break.

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