Aaron Ramsey has announced his decision to retire from football after a career that was ruined thanks to Ryan Shawcross deciding he would cripple a teenager because ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em’.
Aaron Ramsey has retired from football, drawing a line under a career that was repeatedly interrupted by injury, and never fully escaped the consequences of what happened to him at Stoke in 2010.
Writing on Instagram, Ramsey said, “This has not been an easy decision to make. After a lot of consideration, I have decided to retire from football.
“Firstly, I want to start with Wales. It has been my privilege to wear the Welsh shirt and experience so many incredible moments in it. It would not have been possible without the incredible input of all the managers I have played under and all the staff who have helped me in many ways.
“To the Red Wall. You have been there through thick and thin! You have been there through the highs and lows, and you have been an essential and indispensable part of our success. I can’t thank you enough. We’ve been through everything together and it’s been an honour to represent you. Diolch.
“Secondly, thank you to all the clubs I’ve been lucky enough to play for. Thank you to all the managers and staff that have helped me be able to live my dream and play at the highest level.
“And a huge thank you to my wife and children and all my family. Without you by my side throughout, none of this would have been possible.
“DIOLCH”
For all that followed, the defining moment of Ramsey’s career came on 27 February 2010, when Ryan Shawcross went through the teenager and caused a double fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg.
The injury was horrific, players were visibly distressed, and Ramsey required immediate surgery before beginning a recovery that was both physical and psychological. He was out for almost a year.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27: Ryan Shawcross of Stoke City is sent off by Referee Peter Walton for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Arsenal at The Britannia Stadium on February 27, 2010 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
He made it back, but his career was irreparable damaged.
Successive loan spells were needed to rebuild him, and though he returned to the elite level, the broader pattern of his career was already taking shape. Ex-Stoke players have since admitted the Tony Pulis era culture of leaving one on opponents fed into that kind of tackle, and for Ramsey the consequences did not end when his leg healed.
Instead, the years that followed became a long fight with his own body.
At Juventus, Rangers and back at Cardiff, he was repeatedly sidelined by calf injuries, hamstring problems and other soft-tissue issues. His injury list runs to three pages on Transfermarkt.
By 2024-25, he was still missing long stretches for club and Wales, to the point the BBC were openly asking whether he had already played his last international match even as Ramsey was dreaming of playing at the 2026 World Cup.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
It was a dream that was ended when he needed hamstring surgery last year. A brief move to Mexico was cut short when his family dog went missing from kennels towards the end of last year. He has not played since.
Ramsey was not simply a gifted midfielder worn down by time, but a player whose body never completely escaped the damage done that day at the Britannia.
A leg shattered at 19 became the starting point for years of compensating muscles and recurring breakdowns.
Each new hamstring or calf problem sat in the shadow of that first injury.
Ramsey is now 35. He played 369 times for Arsenal but missed 229 games for club and country after 2010 due to various injuries.
Shawcross, 38, retired 2022. He missed three games for his tackle on Ramsey.
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