The similarities between Gareth Bale’s 2012-13 season and Aaron Ramsey’s current, breakout campaign only begin with the fact that they are both proud Welshmen.
This year’s amazing, ongoing campaign for Ramsey is looking a whole bunch like Bale’s breakout season of a year back – the one so famously punctuated by that whopper move to Real Madrid.
Bale scored 26 goals all competitions last season en route to his Player of the Year season. Not even halfway through the year, and Ramsey has 13 goals in all competitions for his Gunners. That total was boosted today, of course, when Ramsey struck twice in his club’s swell road win at Cardiff.
(Bonus points to Ramsey for declining on both goals to celebrate against his old club – and a tip of the hat to the Cardiff fans for the mutual respect shown to the young opponent.)
(MORE: Ramsey fantastic against his old side in 3-0 win)
Speaking of age, Bale was 23 years old during his record-setting season; Ramsey is 22 now.
They are different players in style and in terms of best positioning. On the other hand, their Premier League bidding both came out of North London, which adds a little glamour and sex appeal to the entire enterprise.
And of course there is the Welsh thing. In fact, Wales Online asks this pertinent question: Has there ever been three better players in action for their land at the same time? The third man in this pile is Ryan Giggs, still logging the quality miles for Manchester United at age 40.
Again, there’s a lot of soccer to be played this year, and so very much can happen. But watching Arsenal’s young midfielder gain in confidence seemingly by the week, and understanding how much more acclaim will fall his way if Arsenal remains in the Premier League pole position, we may as well start this conversation of comparisons.
