Aaron Ramsey only includes FIVE Arsenal players in his best XI of former team-mates, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil all making the cut
- Aaron Ramsey has starred for Arsenal and Juventus during his storied career
- He snubbed Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez from his best career XI
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Aaron Ramsey has named Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil in his best XI of former team-mates - but only five Arsenal stars have made the cut.
Ramsey, who plays in the Championship with his boyhood club Cardiff City, has enjoyed a glittering career at several top clubs across Europe including the Gunners, Juventus and Rangers, as well as making 82 caps for the Welsh national team.
As a result, the midfielder has shared the dressing room with a decorated list of talented footballers, as fans found out after Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Ramsey, who was appearing as a pundit alongside Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, was asked to name the best XI of team-mates he could from those he rubbed shoulders with for club and country across his career.
Describing his first decision as 'easy', the Welshman took little time picking his goalkeeper and selected former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Gareth Bale (left) was named in Aaron Ramsey's best XI of former team-mates on Monday
The Cardiff City star (above) named a fantastic line-up but missed out some surprising names
Ex-Arsenal forward Robin van Persie was one of the players to be excluded from Ramsey's XI
Some fans may have expected Ramsey to choose former Arsenal and Chelsea shot-stopper Petr Cech, who is widely regarded as one of the Premier League's greatest-ever goalkeepers.
But, selecting Buffon, Ramsey said: 'Buffon was easy. An absolute legend in the game and a great human being. He is my goalkeeper.'
The 33-year-old star went on to select three Juventus team-mates in his back four, with Danilo, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro joining former Arsenal and France centre-half Laurent Koscielny.
'Very Juve based in defence, they had success with defences, and I love Koscielny,' he added. 'His understanding of the game, quick, powerful, strong.'
For what the Gunners lacked in Ramsey's defence, they more than made up for in midfield.
The Welshman selected a dazzlingly creative trio of Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla and Ozil to form an impressive Arsenal-only midfield.
Ramsey continued: 'Fabregas was an unbelievable player, he was the person I was looking up to (while at Arsenal). And Cazorla an absolute joy.
'I’ve gone really offensive. Ozil was amazing to play with, on his day, that final pass. His little movements, he had a lot of unfair criticism for his body language. He needed (Arsene) Wenger to get round him and make him feel special.'
He chose Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) on the left wing but didn't include Gonzalo Higuain (right)
Ramsey played alongside the Portuguese icon after moving to Juventus from Arsenal in 2019
Santi Cazorla (above) was one of the Arsenal stars to make the cut, alongside Cesc Fabregas
Ronaldo and Bale, who formed a devastating duo at Real Madrid for several years, occupied the wing spots in Ramsey's team, with the latter the only Welshman to make the midfielder's team-mate XI.
On Ronaldo, who played alongside Ramsey in Turin, he said: 'He maybe changed a bit in the way he played from (Manchester) United or early (Real) Madrid days. He was an unbelievable player, one of the greats, so driven to score.
'He needs to score, keep getting these records. So demanding, everything he does is for him to be able to achieve the most he can.
'Bale - amazing, amazing footballer. When he was in the Prem, the athleticism and speed and power he had, no one could live with that. He would power past players and rifle balls into the top corner. I was lucky to spend so many memorable moments with him.'
Ramsey went on to raise a few eyebrows with his pick at centre forward, opting to snub the likes of Robin van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Paulo Dybala and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
However, given this player is a World Cup, Serie A and Champions League winner, Ramsey will feel there can't be too many complaints.
He said: 'My centre forward is (Olivier) Giroud. Underrated. Played for France, won the World Cup and he had a hand in both my FA Cup winners as well. I could understand him and run off and beyond him.'
'As for the manager, there could only be one, Arsene Wenger. There is a lot of Arsenal in the spine of that team. He was a great man manager and knew how to get the best out of players.'
The Welshman admitted his midfield was 'offensive', spearheaded by playmaker Mesut Ozil
Ozil and Ramsey alongside striker Olivier Giroud (right) after winning the Community Shield
Ramsey began his career at Cardiff before joining Arsene Wenger's side in 2008, where he stayed for 11 fruitful years.
The Welshman won the FA Cup three times at the Emirates before beginning a new chapter with Juventus in 2019, winning Serie A in his first season.
Towards the end of his time with the Old Lady, Ramsey spent a short-term loan spell at Rangers in the Scottish Premiership and returned to be permanently to French club Nice in the summer of 2022.
In 2023, he moved back to Cardiff, where he has since made 17 appearances.
