Since joining in 2008 from Cardiff City for £4.8 million, Aaron Ramsey has become a integral part of Arsenal's midfield.

The Welshman's versatility is a vital attribute for the Gunners, which has helped him hold down a first team place, whilst being surrounded by some of Europe's top talent.

Ramsey has resurrected his Arsenal career after a tricky start to his time at the Emirates, having overcome a huge injury setback- where he suffered a leg break back in 2010 against Stoke City,  he is now a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield.

The Welsh international has proved the doubters wrong, Ramsey had a couple of loan spells at Nottingham Forest and his former club Cardiff City which seemed to signal a possible exit from Arsenal. The hard-working midfielder has never given up on his Arsenal future and is now reaping the rewards of his hard work.

The player's adaptability will sometimes go against him, but he has shown he can do a job anywhere in the midfield five that Arsene Wenger likes to use, for the majority of last season Ramsey was utilised wide, predominately used on the right wing- this is a position that the Welshman has started to excel in.

Ramsey's best position

All of the player's attributes would point to him playing in a deep midfield role, working alongside Arsenal's defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin. That being said the 24-year-old has his work cut out to displace the fantastically gifted Santi Cazorla- who has recently signed a two year contract extension at the club.

There are several reasons why Wenger has used the former Cardiff youngster in a wide position- other than the "Cazorla effect", although Ramsey is not the quickest over the first 5-10 yards he has a great work ethic and covers more ground than most, he is a willing runner and has shown this throughout his Arsenal career and this pre-season.

Ramsey's form in the last few years has seen him become an almost undroppable player within the squad, Arsenal's style of play utilises his qualities and there are not many better midfielders in European football at keeping possession of a football

Aaron Ramsey's Premier League progress since 2012
  2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Goals 1 10 6
Assists 2 8 6
Pass Completion (%) 88 84 86
Key Passes 43 24 41
Chances Created 45 32 47
Successful Passes 1167 1259 1394
Total Forward Passes 1187 944 1014

The Arsenal midfielder has shown a great level of consistency, so it is completely understandable why Wenger finds it very difficult to drop him.

It is clear to see that Wenger's first choice centre midfield pairing is Santi Cazorla alongside Francis Coquelin, after that the Arsenal manager will be looking to Ramsey as first choice cover. There will be times where Cazorla will need to be rested due to his age and his high work-rate, this is when the long serving French manager will turn to the Welshman.

Ramsey will get his chance in his favoured central position, the player has grown into his own in the last three seasons at the Emirates and has shown why Wenger, and many fans hold him in such a high regard.

What does the future hold for Ramsey?

This is a big season for Arsenal's influential Welsh midfielder as his club look to end their Premier League trophy drought, Ramsey was in good form on Sunday as the North London club continued their trophy haul in pre-season, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley. 

It was recently reported that Barcelona have been closely monitoring Ramsey's situation at the Emirates, suggesting that the Catalan club may place a bid in the region of £50 million next summer for the Arsenal midfielder.

Ramsey had gone on record saying he "would like" to play in la Liga at some point in his career, however he has made no secret of his desire "to be captain one day"

He has experience of captaincy at an international level, the late Gary Speed selected the midfielder as Wales Captain and Ramsey led his national to some impressive results in that period. 

Arsenal are now reaping the benefits of Wenger's footballing philosophy- the main focus of this has been incorporating young and technically gifted players, and developing them together with the first team squad.

Ramsey is part of a much documented "British Core" at the Emirates which includes Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Carl Jenkinson.

Wenger's squad now has a good balance of youth and experience, which is something that could not have been said a few years ago, not only that they have the experience of winning silverware.

If Ramsey can have an injury-free campaign this season he can play a big part as Arsenal strive to win their first Premier League trophy since "the invincibles" in 2004.

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About the author
Andy Rees
I am a freelance football writer who mainly concentrates on everything Arsenal