Aaron Ramsey's contract with Liga MX side Pumas UNAM was terminated amid conflicting accounts, with the Wales midfielder also dealing with the disappearance of his dog, Halo
Aaron Ramsey with his dog Halo, who is missing
Aaron Ramsey's dog, Halo, went missing shortly before it was confirmed he had left Mexican club Pumas
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Aaron Ramsey's Mexican adventure quickly spiralled into a nightmare after his beloved dog vanished before Pumas UNAM tore up his contract. The ex-Arsenal and Cardiff City star has revealed details about the breakdown after his deal was cancelled at the end of October, though there seem to be conflicting accounts of what actually happened.
Expectations were sky-high that Ramsey, who celebrates his 35th birthday on Boxing Day, would enjoy a Liga MX reinaissance after a promising start to his Pumas journey. But it wasn't long before the midfielder was struck down by the same injury woes that have plagued him for much of his career, managing only six outings for the club before they showed him the door.
What should have been an exciting new chapter in his career took a heartbreaking turn in October when Ramsey revealed his cherished dog, Halo, had vanished. The Welsh icon and his family launched a social media appeal to find their pet beagle, which went missing from a ranch in San Miguel de Allende, even putting up £15,000 as a reward for her safe return.
Ramsey's wife, Colleen, has since shared the devastating news that the family "have to accept she has likely passed away." The Ramseys subsequently returned to Wales as Aaron took his turn explaining what went wrong in Mexico City.
"I would like to thank the Mexican people for their kindness and generosity and making me and my family feel so welcome in Mexico City," he wrote on Instagram on Monday. "I also want to give a big thanks to the manager, the coaching staff and particularly the medical staff for helping me through what was a difficult time with injuries.
"However with their help and a lot of hard work I was ready and match fit for the remaining games and I was looking forward to giving my best to the Pumas. Unfortunately my contract was terminated which was a surprise and obviously disappointing. Therefore I had no choice but to come home to Wales.
"Thank you again for all the support through the time we spent in Mexico. It's a beautiful place and we will definitely come back to visit soon."
Yet it's been suggested one of Ramsey's ex-Pumas team-mates said the Welsh star "made a mistake" in his account of what happened. A Conexion MT report quoted a source within the Pumas camp, who branded Ramsey "completely wrong" about being caught off guard by his contract's termination, alleging he abandoned the squad without authorisation after Halo went missing.
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"First of all, Pumas advised him not to travel, but he ignored it and went anyway," said reporter Agustín Martínez. "Then the incident with the dog happened. He arrived in Mexico City and left without the club's permission to look for it in San Miguel de Allende, but he didn't stop there.
"He returned to Wales without anyone's permission; none of his team-mates knew where he was. I've been told, 'We didn't know where he was; we thought he was looking for the dog, that he'd been fired, or that he'd quit.'"
Aaron Ramsey of Pumas gestures during the 9th round match between Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL as part of the Torneo Apertura 2025 Liga MX at Estadio Olimpico Universitario
Ramsey's contract with Pumas was terminated at the end of October
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The claims escalated further, suggesting Ramsey deserted his team-mates without any explanation. From Pumas' viewpoint, his mutual contract termination was a mere formality, rather than the "surprise" Ramsey described on social media.
He's now without a club going into January, with uncertainty surrounding what comes next and whether Ramsey, who served as interim manager at Cardiff before departing at the end of last season, will play again this campaign.
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