Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale shows his class with incredible donation to old manager who helped his career
ARSENAL star Aaron Ramsdale has donated 40 Premier League match balls worth up to £4,000 to Fred Barber’s football school.
The England goalkeeper, 24, brought the friendly gesture to his former childhood coach as costs soared post-Covid.
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Former Bolton goalkeeping coach Barber, 59, said: “Aaron was good enough to give money for footballs to the kids now.
“We have been fighting for balls, they are expensive and schools have increased the prices of pitches since Covid.
“I spoke to Aaron’s father Nick and he said Aaron would work something out.
“I got 40 real Premier League balls. They cost around £100.
“It was a good gesture. He didn’t have to do it. He hasn’t forgotten where he came from.”
Barber has also spoken about how he first saw the Arsenal star play when he was just a 10-year-old boy.
He said: “I first saw Aaron when he was 10 years old at my hourly sessions on Friday. He was a skinny kid, a little dwarf. He had a cheeky face and I liked that because I was a character too.
“I treated the kids like professional goalkeepers and they either worked hard or thought, ‘This is too hard and drifting.’
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“Some goalkeepers got sick because the exercises pushed them to their limits.
“As a coach, I’ve tried to find out how far they can go and what they’re made of.
“It didn’t scare Aaron. His attitude was brilliant. The more I pushed him, the more he wanted it.
“Kids can be emotional, but he worked hard. He had that Nordic bite.”
