Aaron Ramsey has the reasoning behind his decision to join Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal over Manchester United as a youngster.

The Wales international faced a choice between the two clubs and Everton at the age of 17 while on the books at Cardiff City.

Sir Alex Ferguson, then United’s manager, had inquired about Ramsey’s availability with his Cardiff counterpart Dave Jones, while Jones’ assistant Terry Burton recommended the youngster to Arsenal.

Despite growing up as a United fan, Ramsey ultimately opted for north London and he has now cited Wenger’s red-carpet treatment as one of the reasons behind his decision.

“I went up there to see the facilities and I went to see Arsène Wenger,” he told Sky Sports. “He did a lot to try and get me to this club.

“As a 17-year-old, flying out on a private jet to his hotel [in Switzerland for Euro 2008] was surreal but I think I made the right decision.



“I just felt a bit more wanted by Arsenal and by the boss,” he added.

Ramsey could feature in Arsenal’s tip to Old Trafford on Saturday, but may have to make do with a place among the substitutes having only recently returned from injury.

The 25-year-old midfielder limped off with a hamstring problem during Arsenal’s opening game of the season, a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, and admits he found his spell on the sidelines frustrating.

Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Show all 11 1 /11 Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Arsène Wenger, February 2005 After being probed about the number of foreign players in his Arsenal side, Wenger flipped the question onto Chelsea's lack of homegrown talent. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, October 2005 Mourinho did not initially bite back, but after Wenger criticised his team further, he infamously labelled the Frenchman a 'voyeur'. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Arsène Wenger, November 2005 Wenger did not react well and accused Mourinho of being "disconnected with reality and disrespectful". Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, April 2008 Their rivalry calmed after Mourinho's exit from Chelsea in 2007, but the Portuguese could not help but prod Wenger again during his time at Internazionale. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Arsène Wenger, April 2013 After Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso appeared to purposely earn yellow cards in a Champions League tie for Mourinho's Real Madrid side, Wenger admonised their actions in the press. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, April 2013 Wenger's comments provoked a spiky reaction from Mourinho, who attacked his rival's reputation as a manager who develops young talent. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Arsène Wenger, January 2014 Mourinho, back at Chelsea, sold Juan Mata to Manchester United shortly after the two sides had played their final league fixture against each other for the season. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, January 2014 Wenger's reaction did not surprise Mourinho, who cried foul himself with a complaint about Arsenal's fixture list. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, February 2014 After Wenger suggested his rival may suffer from a 'fear of failure', Mourinho infamously retorted by calling Wenger a 'specialist in failure'. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Arsène Wenger, October 2014 The pair finally came to physical blows on the touchline during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in October 2014. Mourinho and Wenger's rivalry: in quotes Jose Mourinho, October 2015 A year later, with his title-winning side falling apart at the seams, Mourinho claimed that Wenger was the only manager in the league who could criticise referees and get away with it.

“After the Euros I had, I was desperate to get back and carry that on,” said Ramsey, who was included in Uefa’s Euro 2016 ‘Team of the Tournament’ after impressing with Wales.

“Then to get an injury in the first game and a few setbacks after that - it's been so frustrating.