As Wales step onto the pitch at the Olympic Stadium to face Italy on Sunday, few players will be more motivated to perform than Aaron Ramsey.
Not only does Ramsey have the chance to lead Wales to a first-place finish in Group A at the expense of their opponents, but he also has the chance to silence those who have doubted him throughout his two-year spell at Juventus.
Ramsey‘s move from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 was met with enormous expectation in Turin, with the club anticipating that he would revolutionise the side’s midfield and add a wealth of goals.
However, he has consistently struggled to find his best form and has also been plagued by injuries. Last season, his cause was made more difficult with Andrea Pirlo unwilling to trust him, leading to him starting 13 Serie A matches all season.
In fact, as Juventus competed for Champions League qualification and the Italian Cup, Ramsey spent the entire run-in out of the starting line-up, before being left out of the squad altogether for the 4-1 victory at Bologna on the final day of the A league campaign to secure Champions League qualification.
In light of his difficult situation at Juventus, he was glad to get away from Turin to prepare for Euro 2020 with Wales, before reflecting on a tough couple of years.
“The last two seasons at Juventus have been difficult, frustrating, not just from a physical point of view,” Ramsey told Metro.
He returned to top form in the 2-0 victory against Turkey on Wednesday evening with a first-half strike and put in the kind of performance that saw him named in the Euro 2016 Team of the Tournament.
With his time at Juventus set to come to an end this summer, he can demonstrate on Sunday why his club have made a poor decision in showing a lack of faith in him since joining two years ago.
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