Fabrizio Ravanelli: Aaron Ramsey’s move to Rangers will suit him far better than Juventus ever did

Juventus legend Fabrizio Ravanelli predicts Aaron Ramsey will thrive on his return to British football with Rangers.

The man they called “The White Feather” enjoyed a brief spell in the Scottish top flight with Dundee in 2003-04.

But it was with the Turin giants, Ramsey’s parent club, that he enjoyed the most conspicuous success of his long career.

He was part of the UEFA Cup win in 1993, the Serie A title triumph in 1995 and he played a key role in the Champions League win the following year.

The striker found the net in Juve’s 4-0 thrashing of the Light Blues, en route to scoring in the 1996 Final against Ajax, which the Italians won on penalties.

A keen follower of UK football on both sides of the border, Ravanelli expected Ramsey to be a success when he was unveiled as Juve’s latest high-profile signing in 2019.

“I have been following Ramsey closely since he played for Arsenal,” said Ravanelli, who formed a potent three-man attack with Gianluca Vialli and Alessandro del Piero.

“I always thought he was a good player – not a phenomenon, but one who can contribute in an important way to getting the teams in which he plays to the finish line.

“Unfortunately, at Juventus he did not show those qualities.

“When he arrived in Turin, there were high expectations for him. But I think his many injuries had a very negative impact on his chances.

“That was too bad because in some matches for Juve, he had shown that he knows how to play good football, scoring a couple of important goals that helped to win the Scudetto.”

But Ravanelli reckons the 31-year-old midfielder has been partially culpable for his failure to make the desired impact with Juventus.

“In addition to his injuries, he certainly did not weigh up the fact that Serie A is very different from the English Premier League,” he said.

“It is much more tactical than he was used to. The game here is not very fast and physical, like you find in England and Scotland.

“To be fair, I think to adapt quickly you need to have a good run of games in the team.

“Aaron did not get that opportunity, and I believe it slowed him down.”

Now that Ramsey has moved in the opposite direction, the former forward expects the reverse to be the case.

“The return to play in Great Britain can be a good chance for him,” said Ravanelli.

“Having played in England for so many years, Ramsey won’t need time to get used to playing in Scotland. The Scottish Premiership is not exactly the same as the English Premier, but it does have characteristics in common.

“So I hope that Ramsey will find his natural habitat at the Glasgow Rangers, and that he will go back to being the player he was – a man who makes a difference on the football pitch.”

And watching on keenly from afar will be Ravanelli, whose stay at Dens Park was cut short by the need for financial cutbacks that saw Dundee’s highest earners cut from the squad.

The 53-year-old Italian said: “I spent only one year in Scotland, but I still remember the warmth of the fans with great emotion. I don’t forget them.”

Christian Doidge will be in opposition to Ramsey’s new loan employers when Hibs visit Ibrox on Wednesday night, but he is still enthused by the arrival of his Welsh countryman to Scottish football.

“I am excited to see what he does here,” said the Hibees striker.

“I think the news of his signing shocked everyone. Certainly that was my reaction when I heard it at the training ground.

“As soon as the news broke, I had a few messages from my friends, mentioning it.

“I think it is great for Scottish football to get a top Welsh internationalist playing for Rangers.

“Ramsey is a great player. He is not someone I know personally, but as a fan of the country, I have watched him a lot and admired his play.

“Listen, you do not go to Juventus if you have not got that quality.

“He did not play as much as he probably wanted to at Juventus, but I am sure he will get a lot of game time at Rangers, and show what he is capable of.

“It is good for the game here too. The Premiership is coming on in leaps and bounds, and signings like this one can only help raise the profile outside the country.

“I am enjoying playing in it, and keen to play a part in the new era we have at Hibs under the new manager, Shaun Maloney.”