Ex-Sheffield United player criticised despite landing Blades £30m windfall - he did "something you don’t do" | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit has named one player that supporters do not have fond memories of

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sheffield United have seen a lot of players come through the doors at Bramall Lane over the years, but not many of them will have been sold not once, but twice by the club.

In recent years, there has been a big squad churn due to yo-yoing between the Premier League and the Championship - the Blades even had 15 players depart the club last summer following their play-off final defeat to Sunderland.

Some have proven extremely popular, but others have left a sour taste with Sheffield United supporters for one reason or another.

The likes of Anel Ahemdhodzic or Vini Souza left on good terms, departing for solid transfer fees after the club were unable to gain promotion back to the top flight, but others have left on much worse terms, such as Aaron Ramsdale.

Aaron Ramsdale’s sour Sheffield United departure left a bitter taste in fans' mouths

Southampton v Fulham - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - April 26, 2025 Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale reacts Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

When asked which one former player the supporters do not like, FLW’s Sheffield United fan pundit Jimmy named Ramsdale as a good candidate to fill that role due to the manner of his exit from Bramall Lane.

He believes that refusing to play for the team amid transfer interest from Arsenal was not an acceptable move to take, even if it’s understandable that a deal like that could be quite important in a player’s career.

“I would have to say it’s a tricky one, this, because whenever someone’s played for you have a certain affinity for them, so I can only really think about people who left under a cloud,” Jimmy told Football League World.

“And there are one or two, but I think the one most recently that sticks out for a lot of Blades is Aaron Ramsdale.

“When he got the opportunity to move to Arsenal, while Sheffield United had been relegated from the Premier League and he’d come in as one of our big signings, he came through our youth academy so you’d have thought he’d have a bit of an affinity to the club.

“And yes, Arsenal is a huge move, and you would never want to stop a player from getting that sort of move.

“I think once the interest came, we all sort of resigned ourselves to the fact he would go, but he refused to play to force the move, and that’s just something you don’t do.

“To refuse to play for the club, to force your way out, he signed a contract as a Sheffield United player and he should honour that deal until a deal’s completed.

“So I reluctantly go with Aaron Ramsdale.”

Ramsdale made the switch to Arsenal in the 2021 summer transfer window following Sheffield United’s relegation to the Championship.

The deal cost a reported £30 million, and he was immediately installed as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium.

Two years later though, he was replaced by David Raya of Brentford, and after moving to Southampton, where he also got relegated, he has since become Nick Pope's understudy at Newcastle United, joining on loan from the Saints in the summer.

Ramsdale's move to Arsenal wasn't the first time that the Blades had cashed in on him - having graduated from United's academy, the stopper did not play a league game for the club in his first stint before joining Bournemouth in 2017 for around £800,000, which was a far cry from what he departed Bramall Lane for a further four-and-a-half years later.

Aaron Ramsdale’s departure still clearly stings for some at Sheffield United

Despite being an academy graduate, no one could begrudge a Championship player a move when they are offered the chance at Premier League football, especially for a team of Arsenal’s stature.

But refusing to play for the team to try and force the move will never go down well with supporters, especially when you've come through the academy system of said club.

It’s no surprise that his name is mentioned as a result, even if the years that have passed by since have perhaps cooled the emotions involved a little.

If he were to return to Bramall Lane now, there are no guarantees he’d be welcomed back with a positive reception, although some may be willing to let bygones be bygones.