HomeSportsAaron Ramsey: World Cup qualification would 'complete' Wales career

Aaron Ramsey: World Cup qualification would ‘complete’ Wales career

Aaron Ramsey made his first Wales appearance since Euro 2020 in Friday's draw with Czech Republic
Aaron Ramsey made his first Wales appearance since Euro 2020 in Friday’s draw with Czech Republic
Venue: A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn Date: Monday, 11 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, plus live text and score updates on the BBC Sport website and app. Highlights on Match of the Day Wales on BBC One Wales from 22:35 BST.

Aaron Ramsey says his international career would feel “complete” if he could help Wales qualify for a first World Cup since 1958.

The play-offs are Wales’ most realistic route to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Ramsey, who is putting questions about his future with Juventus to one side while he is with Wales, is set to captain his country in Monday’s qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn.

“To qualify for a World Cup would be an amazing achievement,” he said.

“We have been fortunate enough to experience two European Championships.

“They’ve been absolutely amazing so it would be a massive dream to hopefully tick off a World Cup.

“There’s a long way to go but if we can do that, it would be sort of complete wouldn’t it?”

Ramsey was named in Uefa’s team of the tournament when Wales reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals and was one of their leading lights at the European Championship earlier this year.

But injuries meant the former Arsenal midfielder was only able to play in 19 of Wales’ 44 games between Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.

Ramsey returned from another absence to captain Wales and score their first goal in Friday’s thrilling 2-2 draw away against the Czech Republic.

The 30-year-old midfielder was superb in Prague, playing more minutes in one game than he has done for club side Juventus this season because of various injury issues.

Wales manager Robert Page said last week he would like to see Ramsey playing more regularly back in the Premier League, his home for more than a decade with Arsenal before he joined Juve in 2019.

Asked about Page’s comments, Ramsey said: “I’m contracted to Juventus and I still have a year and a half left on my contract.

“Hopefully I can show exactly what I can do there. I’m just concentrating on Monday’s game and hopefully winning there, putting ourselves in a good position to qualify for the World Cup.

“It’s a massive dream of mine and the rest of the boys.

“We want to finish second in the group and finish off the job we set out to do. It was always going to be difficult to with Belgium [who lead Group E by eight points] in the group to finish top but our target was always to finish in the top two.

“It’s not a friendly, it’s a World Cup qualifier and we have prepared like every other game and hopefully we come away with the win.”

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