The FIVE Stats That Show What Aaron Ramsey Can Bring To Rangers

Content Editor

2 years ago

Aaron Ramsey’s loan move to Rangers on deadline day last week understandably got supporters very excited and we got a first glimpse of the Wales international in action against Hearts yesterday.

The 31-year-old still needs to get up to full fitness but we think it is a good time to look at what the midfielder will offer manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst during his six-month stay in Glasgow.

Joe Aribo, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack are the three players who the Welshman may, arguably, be challenging for a place in the Rangers side, so we have used them for reference.

Press the next page as we look at five statistics that demonstrate why Ramsey has the potential to make a big impact at Ibrox.

0.44 Goals and Assists per 90

If we compare Ramsey’s career stats to the three Gers players we have just mentioned, he (by far) makes the most telling contributions in front of goal, with Aribo (0.34) the only one coming close.

Even then, you have to consider the fact that, for a good part of his career, Aribo was playing in the lower leagues of English football, while Ramsey has been competing at the highest level.

1.64 key passes per 90

Again, Ramsey beats the rest here with Aribo (1.44), Arfield (0.69) and Jack (0.56) not matching the former Arsenal player when it comes to creating shooting opportunities for his teammates.

While key passes don’t tell you everything about someone’s creativity, it does demonstrate that they are able to make the right decisions in the final third of the pitch.

1.39 completed passes into the penalty area per 90

We could have used simple passing accuracy stats here but, for attack-minded players, you will generally get lower percentages simply because they are given more license to take risks on the ball.

Looking at accurate passes into the 18-yard box paints a better picture of a midfielder’s effectiveness and Ramsey, once again, comes out on top compared to other Rangers players, with Aribo (1.10 per 90) the closest in terms of having a similar output.

70.5 touches per 90

This stat shows not only how often Ramsey gets on the ball but also his willingness to get involved in build-up play. Considering Ramsey has (generally) played higher up the pitch than the likes of Ryan Jack in his career, he should average fewer touches but he doesn’t.

Jack is just behind on this metric (68.4 per 90) and it shows that Ramsey will gravitate towards the ball and try and make things happen for his team.

6.2 progressive carries per 90

Not only will Ramsey link up with his teammates and create chances for others, he is not averse to carrying the ball forward. Progressive carries mean the number of times he takes the ball five yards forward or more.

He has also better stats than Aribo when carrying the ball in the final third and the penalty area, which is surprising considering we know how good the Nigerian can be when taking on opponents.

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