What Burnley can expect from latest signing Aaron Ramsey following Norwich City & Middlesbrough spells

The 20-year-old has penned a five-year contract with the Clarets after making the move for an undisclosed fee.

The midfielder, the younger brother of Jacob, only made one senior appearance for Villa, so not a great deal might be known about the England Under-20 international.

However, he did star on loan in the Championship last season in two separate spells, first Norwich City and latterly with Middlesbrough.

The attacking midfielder made 20 outings for Norwich, scoring three times, before finishing the season with Michael Carrick’s Boro side, where he notched an impressive five goals in 11 games.

We caught up with Middlesbrough reporter Dominic Shaw and Canaries writer Connor Southwell to get the full lowdown.

Connor Southwell, chief Norwich City reporter for the Eastern Daily Press

What sort of impact did Ramsey have at Carrow Road?

It was a short but sweet spell at Carrow Road for Aaron Ramsey. He was, for a brief period, the shining light in a team that was underperforming and failing to inspire under Dean Smith in the Championship. A really technically gifted player who can unlock defences with clever passes and is a good ball carrier. Really athletic as well. Sadly, it ended on a sour note with Norwich terminating his loan after Smith's departure. Fans were told he would be injured for the remainder of the season only for him to pop up at Middlesbrough a few weeks later. He scored at the Riverside and celebrated in front of City's supporters. Fair to say he isn't popular at Norwich now.

What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Really creative and technically proficient but combines that with some willing running and buzzes around the pitch. He played predominantly as a number 10 at Carrow Road and was their key creative presence in a side that struggled to attack with fluidity. I would argue that he didn't play at Norwich as well as he did at Middlesbrough. In a side that wants plenty of the ball, he would thrive.

What's his best position?

He featured predominantly as a number 10 at Norwich but was wider for Middlesbrough. He is a capable runner and intelligent footballer so could do either of those roles. I think he is better suited to playing centrally.

Do you think he's capable of making the step-up to the Premier League?

Definitely. The thing with Ramsey is there is still a lot of potential to extract from him. He is a very coachable player and there is still much more to come. Whether he is capable of being a frontline Premier League option is up for debate, but he ended the season playing in one of the Championship's best teams. I would back him to make a real impact in the top-flight in a Burnley team under Vincent Kompany.

Dominic Shaw, football writer for the Northern Echo

What sort of impact did Ramsey have at the Riverside?

Considering he only made 11 appearances on Teesside, Ramsey had a big impact in a short space of time. Boro put their contacts to good use in the January window, with Aaron Danks – former Aston Villa coach – using his Villa Park links to help bring Ramsey and Cameron Archer to the Riverside. Archer was possibly the best January signing in the Championship but had Ramsey stayed fit he'd have rivalled his fellow Villa loanee. The fact Ramsey wasn't available in the play-offs was one of the major reasons Boro ultimately came up just short. The young winger scored five goals and registered one assist in his 11 Boro outings before suffering an ankle injury against his former side Norwich. He's very well thought of at Boro and the Teessiders would have jumped at the chance to bring him back on another loan this year.

What are his strengths and weaknesses?

He's fast, direct, has an eye for goal and has the trickery to trouble full-backs. He's aware of what's happening behind him as well. Carrick makes sure his wingers protect their own full-backs as well as troubling the opposition's and Ramsey had no problem doing both. In terms of weaknesses, the main point to prove is that he's robust enough to handle a full season of football, with his spells at both Norwich and Boro disrupted by injury.

What's his best position?

He's equally as comfortable on both flanks. He played more on the right for Boro but was just as threatening when he moved over to the left side. He didn't play in that position for Boro but I'd imagine he's also capable of playing in a central number 10 position.

Do you think he's capable of making the step-up to the Premier League?

It's hard to make a definitive judgement given he only made 11 appearances for Boro, but on the evidence provided, he certainly looked like a Premier League player in the making. Even if he's not quite ready to make a major impact this season, Burnley would still be getting a high-class young player with his best years ahead of him. The general feeling on Teesside at the end of last season was that Boro might stand a chance of getting Ramsey back again on another loan because a full season of regular football at the top end of the Championship would prove beneficial. But it was clear last season that Ramsey's future – whether it's now or a year or two down the line – is in the Premier League.