Former Wanderers youngster Aaron Ramsdale says Jussi Jaaskelainen was a big inspiration during his early development.

Ramsdale was released by the Whites at the age of 15 but got to spend lots of time around the Finnish shot stopper.

He also became close with Jaaskelainen’s son, Will, who is current playing at National League side Woking.

Ramsdale is now Arsenal’s number one and could be set to win his first Premier League title with the Gunners.

The 24-year-old has also featured on the international stage and was named in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in Qatar.

“As I was going through the Bolton system, Jaaskelainen was a big part of my career. He was my early inspiration,” he told the club’s website.

“Being able to watch him every other weekend at the home games was obviously huge for me, and then becoming close family friends with him and being able to speak to him about football and play in the garden with him and his son William, who’s the same age as me.

“I’m still very close with them, but for me at that age to be around a Premier League player was huge. Also his coach at Bolton, Fred Barber, was the one who trained me at Stoke.

“He’s still coaching at Crewe after being at Bolton for years and has a goalkeeping school in Stoke, which is where I went before moving to Bolton.

“So we had a connection with the Jaaskelainens through different people, and he was definitely an inspiration for me.”

Ramsdale is currently in the running for the Golden Glove award, having kept 12 clean sheets in the league this term.

When asked which traits he has taken from Jaaskelainen, he added: “Things like my set position.

“Obviously, getting coached by the same coach that Jussi worked with in Fred, he stuck to his principles and taught all of the people who went to the goalkeeping school the same way.

“So you are given the basis, but then you see someone in the Premier League doing it week in, week out and you know it’s working.

“Probably the way I position my hands and legs are very similar to Jussi. I think it’s more subconscious though after years of training that way with Fred.”