Ramsey ready for challenge as new Oxford head coach

New Oxford United boss Aaron Ramsey says he is ready for his first permanent head coach role as he prepares to take charge of the League One club.

The former Arsenal and Wales midfielder, 35, only retired from playing in April, and was previously interim manager of Cardiff City for the final three games of the 2024-25 season.

"I wouldn't be sat in this position if I didn't think I was ready," he told BBC Radio Oxford. "I've been planning for this now for the last few years.

"As soon as I started these conversations with the club, and I realised how ambitious they were and everything that's in place, I knew this was the right place for me."

Ramsey was announced on Tuesday as the successor to Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked following the club's relegation from the Championship.

At his first media conference since his appointment, he stopped short of saying promotion from League One at the first attempt was his stated aim for the new season.

"For me, now, success looks like instilling everyday behaviours and habits into my team and giving us a platform, [from] which I'm confident success will follow," he said.

"I have a really clear way of playing, an identity that I want to create. But that is built on clear principles first, underpinned by elite habits and behaviours."

Those behaviours will have been drummed into Ramsey during a successful 19-year playing career, which started at Cardiff City and closed with a handful of games at Mexican club UNAM.

Ramsey played over 500 games as a professional and the bulk were spent playing for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, but he has also been managed by Unai Emery, Andrea Pirlo and Maurizio Sarri.

His international coaches, while winning 86 caps for Wales, included Chris Coleman, Gary Speed and current boss Craig Bellamy, who in 2024 tipped Ramsey to become a manager "at a high level" in the future.

Ramsey has also said current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is a role model to him, but refused to say which people he would be taking inspiration from now he is in the dugout.

"I've been really lucky to have played under so many great managers who have all brought different attributes that I really liked, and I have taken little snippets here and there.

"I've been lucky to work in some of the most elite environments in football and been exposed to that. That gives me the confidence to go forward and lead and inspire this team.

"I really want the fans to be excited and to be proud every time they come and watch their team.

"I'm sure that they'll enjoy the way that I want to play. We're going to need everybody right behind us in order for us to get the success that we want.

"I think there's a lot of potential in this team, [they are] a really talented group. It's just about aligning that now with the way I see the game and getting them to buy into that."