Aaron Ramsey: Cardiff City return 'is not a token gesture'

Aaron Ramsey hopes he can help Rubin Colwill (R) achieve his potential

Aaron Ramsey says his return to Cardiff City is not a "token gesture" believing he would always return to the club where his career started.

The Wales captain spoke to national team boss Robert Page before signing a two-year deal for the Championship club.

Ramsey, 32, also hopes to help hone young talents such as Rubin Colwill.

"I always knew in the back of my mind that I'd come back one day," said Ramsey.

"I think now is the right time. I didn't want to just come back to see out a year or something then at the end of my career just to do it as a token gesture sort of thing.

"I want to come back while I still feel like I can perform and help this team and now is the perfect time to do that."

Ramsey joined the Bluebirds having negotiated an exit from French top-flight club Nice, preferring to settle back in Cardiff with his family, rather than take up a lucrative approach from Saudi Arabia.

"Obviously, the Saudi situation, is very lucrative in certain aspects. But for me, the most important thing was to be back home. And to come back to Cardiff where it all started," said the former Arsenal player during his first broadcast interview since his return.

The midfielder, who has won Serie A with Juventus and had a loan spell at Glasgow Rangers, was also impressed by the aspirations of the club after talks with owner Vincent Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman and director Steve Borley.

"Having had the conversations with those guys, I think the ambition and the passion is still there.

"I was very impressed by what they had to say and the direction that they want to go in.

"Ultimately they want to try and get the club back to the Premier League. Yes, its been a bit tricky with the embargo and things like that, but I think they can be proud of what they've done so far. "

Cardiff are currently unable to pay a fee for players as they operate under the remnants of a Football League embargo for the initial failure to pay the first instalment of the £15m fee for Emiliano Sala, who perished in a plane crash en route to the capital from his club Nantes in January, 2019.

Ramsey also revealed he had spoken to Page about the move. Page recently re-instated Ramsey as his captain for the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

"I've spoken to the gaffer about this a few weeks back and he totally understands it," said Ramsey.

"I think from his own personal experience as well, he found it quite difficult being away from his family in his playing career, so he totally understand that.

"And as long as I'm performing and playing well, then there are no issues. I know I'm capable of doing that. I'm determined to show consistently again what I can do.

"It's the same as any other player really, you have to be performing to be to be considered to represent your country. So, hopefully we can have a really good season."

• Cardiff signing Ramsey 'a no-brainer'

Ramsey also believes he can help the career development of younger players at Cardiff, not least fellow Wales international Colwill, who played in the last Euros and at the World Cup in Qatar, but is currently in the national under-21 squad, having been hampered by fitness problems last season.

"I'm very experienced and I hope that I can help a lot of the players, the young players coming through," said Ramsey.

"The young Welsh players coming through as well. So there are lot of things that I'm looking forward to and getting stuck into here."

He added: "I think Rubin obviously has an amazing amount of talent. And he's certainly showed glimpses of that over the last few years.

"Now I'm hoping that he can take that next step now and consistently show how good he can be.

"There is no question about the ability that he has. Now it's about how much does he want it and how much is he willing to give to get to the highest level."

Ramsey will be part of Cardiff's pre-season training in Portugal and will fly out with the squad on Monday, 17 July..

He believes new boss Erol Bulut has been a "breath of fresh air" and has no doubt - after making 44 club and country appearances last season, the most since he left Arsenal in 2019 - he will cope with the physical rigours of the Championship.

He said: "I've experienced this Championship before. I know what it's like and that it is physically demanding.

"It's a long season, but I know if I manage myself correctly along with the staff we can we can have a good season together.

"Last year I had a really good relationship with Nice and the medical team and there's no coincidence that we put together some very good numbers last year.

"So my aim is to build on that again."