Aaron Ramsey has confirmed his commitment to Oxford United after the club was hit by an EFL transfer embargo and multiple player injuries. The former Arsenal star was barely two weeks into his first managerial role when Oxford United confirmed the sanction for failing to comply with new English Football League salary rules.
Oxford United expect to be compliant with the salary rules and exit the transfer embargo by January at the latest. Despite the off-field complications, Ramsey insisted that he and his coaching staff remain focused on the squad currently at the club.
"We're fully committed, me and my staff," Ramsey said at a press briefing on Friday. "We came here to work with these players and our focus is on them."
Transfer ban and squad injury setbacks
The transfer embargo was followed by further bad news when centre-half Frankie Kent suffered damaged cruciate knee ligaments in training. Kent, who was signed on a free transfer from Hearts as Oxford United's only summer recruit before the ban hit, underwent an operation that will rule him out for most of the season.
Ramsey confirmed additional injury setbacks on Friday, with left back Ruben Roosken and South Korea international striker Jeon Jin-woo both ruled out for two to three months. Asked if he was tempted to check the small print in his contract, Ramsey replied, "Absolutely not."
Ramsey stated he has not spoken to his friend and former Arsenal teammate Mikel Arteta since taking the Oxford United job, although he displays a similar polite, guarded, and brisk manner in front of the cameras. The 35-year-old moves quickly through media sessions with a flurry of handshakes and smiles while revealing little, relying on protection techniques developed over 20 years in the public eye.
Player career and injury recovery
Ramsey emerged as a wonderkid who made his Cardiff City debut at age 16. He played in an FA Cup final, joined Arsenal, and earned his first Wales cap before turning 18.
At age 19, his career was nearly ended by a horrific leg break at Stoke City, an impact so severe he revealed this week that he dislocated his jaw while screaming. He still carries a metal rod in his right leg as a result of the fracture.
Ramsey recovered to win the FA Cup three times with Arsenal, scoring the winning goal in two of those finals. He also earned 86 international caps for Wales and helped lead his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
"I'm immensely proud of what I achieved, especially since what I had to overcome," Ramsey said. "You don't always get the fairytale endings you want but if I look back at my career that's been a fairytale in itself."
In the seven years following his departure from Arsenal, Ramsey experienced a disjointed period in his career. A lucrative move to Juventus brought trophies but few plaudits, as his 30s were increasingly hampered by muscle injuries he suspects stem from his earlier leg break.
A loan spell at Rangers was defined by a missed penalty in the Europa League final shootout. Ramsey then spent a season in France with Nice before returning to hometown club Cardiff City for two years.
His return to Cardiff City ended with an injury and a three-match spell as caretaker manager as the team was relegated to League One. Last season in Mexico, he suffered the ordeal of losing his dog Halo from the family ranch before deciding to retire from playing in March.
Transition to management and coaching badges
Ramsey said he prepared for management over several years following advice from Arteta, who encouraged him to complete his coaching qualifications early. Arteta told him he wished he had done his badges earlier in his own playing career to start seeing the game differently.
"It's something I've been building up to for a few years off the field," Ramsey said. "I had a conversation with Arteta when we were playing. He did his coaching badges towards the end of his career and said he wished he'd done it earlier because he started to see the game differently. So, it was important for me to take that advice at the time and do my badges in the last years of my career, which I did."
Ramsey built up coaching experience in an unofficial role with the Cardiff City under-18 team and alongside manager Craig Bellamy within the Wales national team setup. He said those roles confirmed his desire to move into management.
"That confirmed to me the direction I wanted to take," Ramsey said. "I'm more than ready for this. I think one of my strengths as a player was that I didn't get too high or too low. I'm fairly level, consistent in what I want to do and how I handle emotions. I'm calm but confident."
Oxford United season opener
Oxford United enter the new campaign after winning four out of four pre-season friendlies. Their competitive season begins with a Carabao Cup tie at Leyton Orient before their League One opener at home against Milton Keynes Dons.
"I'm very excited to get stuck into the season," Ramsey said, despite the early complications. He also ruled out returning to the pitch as a player, even if injuries continue to affect his squad.
"Absolutely not," Ramsey said. "No, my playing days are firmly finished."
Carabao Cup first round ties
Elsewhere in the Carabao Cup first round, West Ham United host Portsmouth, with 9,000 visiting supporters expected for Portsmouth's first game at West Ham since a 4-3 defeat at Upton Park nearly 15 years ago. The fixture could set a first-round attendance record for the competition.
Attention will also focus on the directors' box, where David Sullivan is expected to attend. Sullivan owns a 38.8 percent stake in West Ham United but stepped down as co-chair in June after historical sexual misconduct allegations were reported in a BBC Panorama investigation, which he denies.
Mansfield Town take on Sheffield United after defeating the Blades 4-3 in the FA Cup in January. Nigel Clough's League One side held a 4-1 lead inside an hour at Bramall Lane before resisting a comeback, then went on to eliminate Premier League side Burnley and push eventual champions Arsenal in the fifth round.
Salford City face Shrewsbury Town while debuting a return to their original orange and black home colors following supporter pressure. The color change comes 12 years after the Class of 92 takeover altered the club's home strip to red.
