Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale relishing future England battle with rival Dean Henderson

There are plenty of similarities between Sheffield United’s new goalkeeper and their outgoing 
No 1 and it does not begin and end with their association with the Blades either.

Separated by just a over a year in terms of age, both are solid working-class lads – with blue-collar upbringings in Stoke-on-Trent and Whitehaven respectively – who were not averse to getting their hands dirty in the lower divisions to get noticed.

Both have also donned the Three Lions jersey at four different age-group levels and many shrewd observers believe they will be battling it out in future years for the right to be England’s leading goalkeeper.

The pair recently met up on holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos – and talk by the Aegean was dominated by football as opposed to sun, sea and sand.

Ramsdale, who completed his big-money return to the Blades from Bournemouth on Wednesday, said: “If it works out the way we want it to, me and Deano could be seeing a lot of each other and hopefully in the next few years, we do.

“We have known each other for a while and push each other well. He is a top-class goalkeeper and hopefully it will be a good battle.

“For my aspirations, it (England) is in the back of my mind and if it comes, it will be one of the proudest days of my life.

“But I am not thinking about that. My goal is for Sheffield United to be a Premier League club next year and do better what we did last year (season).

“He (Henderson) messaged me and we have had a few conversations and I saw him on holiday as well and had a good chat and spoke about the year and how good it has been for us personally.

“I cannot wait to see what happens with him. I hope he gets to either play for Manchester United or goes out on another loan and does really well as although it is competition, it’s great seeing other young English players playing in the Premier League and I class him as one of my mates.

“I wish him well. If it does come down to England, we will be fighting it out and whoever gets the shirt, the other will be right behind them.”

By his own admission, Ramsdale left Bramall Lane as a boy in January 2017 when he moved to Bournemouth to enjoy the ride by the seaside.

But he has returned as a ‘man’ in his words – and not just in terms of getting some wool on his back in terms of experience.

A happy-go-lucky lad when he started out with the Blades before heading south, relegation fights on loan at Chesterfield and AFC Wimbledon toughened him up as did fending for himself.

A few home truths from his father after a sobering episode in his career in late 2017 and the wise counsel of Eddie Howe also aided in the growing-up process.

Ramsdale commented: “I was a young lad and not doing things I should have done. I was not sleeping right and not going out at the right times.

“I got back in the squad and I remember we had Chelsea away in the Carabao Cup quarter-final and I missed the bus and slept in. That was a bad day and my dad had to drive down from Stoke to Bournemouth just to be with me.

“That was probably the day where I had to have a look at myself. I thought: ‘This is not party time anymore, this is my job. You are getting paid good money not to just throw it up the wall.’

“Why would you want to be a player who had potential, but never did anything? That was the catalyst for me to grow up and be a man.

“I was an 18-year-old boy loving League One football (at Sheffield United) and sitting on the bench winning each week and going for a drink with my team-mates. Then I went to Bournemouth. It was a small town and I probably just did not understand the reason I was (there) and went on loan to Wimbledon and Chesterfield. I grew up to be a man.

“Now I am not up and down as much with my emotions sand that comes from off the pitch and buying a house and moving once or twice on loan.”

Alongside advice from the likes of his father and Howe, Ramsdale will also value some words of wisdom from another guiding force in his career in Bournemouth’s ex-goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

The experienced Pole always urged Ramsdale to ‘be his own man’ and he has pledged to adhere to that principle.

His respect for Henderson may be strong, but Ramsdale will not feel any shadow lurking over his shoulder at Bramall Lane either.

He said: “Deano did fantastically. But I am not the same goalkeeper or person. We are probably close and similar with the age and attitudes, but I am not going to come in and try and be something I am not. I am my own man.”

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James Mitchinson