By Chris Harris
Arsène Wenger believes it will do Aaron Ramseygood to return to the scene of his "car accident" on Sunday.
The Wales midfielder will line up at Stoke City, 15 months after he left the Britannia Stadium in an ambulance after breaking his leg.
Ramsey's return to Stoke will take up plenty of column inches ahead of this weekend's Premier League clash but Wenger thinks that the 20-year-old can use the opportunity to 'get back behind the wheel' and complete his mental rehabilitation.
"Yes [it is good for him to go back and] the earlier the better because there will always be a question mark about that," said Wenger.
"At the end of the day you focus on football and you play. It is like if you have a car accident - you do you never drive again? Of course you drive again and the earlier the better."
Ramsey's return has been slow but sure. He made his comeback for the Reserves before Christmas and then built up his sharpness with loan spells at Nottingham Forest and former club Cardiff City in the Championship. He got his first taste of Arsenal first-team football for 13 months when he came off the bench against Manchester United at Old Trafford in March and then scored the winner against the same opponents in an eye-catching display last weekend.
For Wenger, that was proof that Ramsey has overcome the physical and psychological hurdles of his injury.
“What I found when I was injured is you come back and for a long time you play in one gear," he said.
"It takes you a bit of time to find that fraction of second extra pace which allows you to get away from people. And for a while you wonder if you have lost it and whether it will ever come back. And that takes quite a while.
"Today the players are better prepared in their rehab than we were and they find that back much quicker.
“Aaron is a quiet but strong character and I think there is no better maturing system than what happened to him – blocked at 18 suddenly when you are just flying. Being knocked down and having to wait for a year, not knowing what really will happen.”
“He is certainly mentally stronger now. After what happened to him you have to be strong."
This Sunday Ramsey will play for the second game in succession, with Cesc Fabregas still nursing a thigh problem. But Wenger can see them in tandem when both are fit and firing.
"Aaron is a great runner and has great timing to get into the box," said the manager. "He is an efficient player and I think they are a good combination together - Cesc and him.”
Arsène Wenger believes it will do Aaron Ramseygood to return to the scene of his "car accident" on Sunday.
The Wales midfielder will line up at Stoke City, 15 months after he left the Britannia Stadium in an ambulance after breaking his leg.
Ramsey's return to Stoke will take up plenty of column inches ahead of this weekend's Premier League clash but Wenger thinks that the 20-year-old can use the opportunity to 'get back behind the wheel' and complete his mental rehabilitation.
"Yes [it is good for him to go back and] the earlier the better because there will always be a question mark about that," said Wenger.
"At the end of the day you focus on football and you play. It is like if you have a car accident - you do you never drive again? Of course you drive again and the earlier the better."
Ramsey's return has been slow but sure. He made his comeback for the Reserves before Christmas and then built up his sharpness with loan spells at Nottingham Forest and former club Cardiff City in the Championship. He got his first taste of Arsenal first-team football for 13 months when he came off the bench against Manchester United at Old Trafford in March and then scored the winner against the same opponents in an eye-catching display last weekend.
For Wenger, that was proof that Ramsey has overcome the physical and psychological hurdles of his injury.
“What I found when I was injured is you come back and for a long time you play in one gear," he said.
"It takes you a bit of time to find that fraction of second extra pace which allows you to get away from people. And for a while you wonder if you have lost it and whether it will ever come back. And that takes quite a while.
"Today the players are better prepared in their rehab than we were and they find that back much quicker.
“Aaron is a quiet but strong character and I think there is no better maturing system than what happened to him – blocked at 18 suddenly when you are just flying. Being knocked down and having to wait for a year, not knowing what really will happen.”
“He is certainly mentally stronger now. After what happened to him you have to be strong."
This Sunday Ramsey will play for the second game in succession, with Cesc Fabregas still nursing a thigh problem. But Wenger can see them in tandem when both are fit and firing.
"Aaron is a great runner and has great timing to get into the box," said the manager. "He is an efficient player and I think they are a good combination together - Cesc and him.”
credit : arsenal.com
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