Aaron Ramsey said Monday he hoped
to follow in John Charles' footsteps in his first season for
Juventus.
"Being in Bianconero is a dream and challenge", said the
28-year-old Welsh attacking midfielder, who said he would do all
he could to become a fan favourite like Welsh great Charles.
The 'Gentle Giant', who died in 2004 at 72, played for the
Turin giants for six years from 1957, scoring 93 goals in 157
games and winning three Italian league titles and two Italian
Cups.
Ramsey, who recently signed a four-year contract with the
eight-time straight Serie A winners, said, according to the club
website: "I am not in contact with (Charles') family but
obviously I know that he is a legend in all respects, not only
for Juventus but for all the Welsh.
"He is certainly a player to get inspiration from, I hope to
follow in his footsteps, I know it represents a lot in the
history of Juve. I hope I can emulate it."
"I want to thank you all for being here and I'm very happy to
be here at Juventus. They're one of the best teams in the world.
I'm working hard with the rest of the group to be ready as soon
as possible."
These were the first words spoken by Aaron Ramsey after he
was officially unveiled as a Bianconero. But what made these
opening remarks particularly impressive was that they were
spoken in Italian.
Not only that, his passion and desire to succeed at Juventus
was evident throughout his press conference: "When I heard that
Juventus were interested in me, I thought it would be a dream to
come here, as well as a great challenge. You can't turn down
this opportunity. This is the right club for me. I hope to be a
part of the history.
"I think the squad and the players and the manager have all
welcomed me very nicely so far. I have spoken to him (Maurizio
Sarri) a few times. He is very approachable and easy to talk to.
I am looking forward to helping my new teammates. I am looking
forward to the challenge and I hope to play my part."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA