Arsenal signing Aaron Ramsey to be thrown into first-team

Arsenal's £5million boy wonder Aaron Ramsey is nicknamed Rambo - even though he is too young to watch Sylvester Stallone's violent war veteran at the cinema.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger won the race for the 17-year-old by pledging to throw him straight into the first-team squad.

Wenger expects his latest prodigy to compete for the vacancy left by Mathieu Flamini's defection to AC Milan. He follows in the footsteps of Jermaine Pennant, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, who all joined Arsenal before they were oven-ready.

And the Gunners' capture of Ramsey, beating competition from Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool, signals a significant shift in Wenger's transfer policy, with a new accent on buying British. Ramsey starred in Cardiff's run to the FA Cup Final, where he became the second-youngest player to appear in the showpiece when he came on as a second-half substitute.

His lime-green Ford Fiesta may be dwarfed by the fourwheel drives in the car park at Arsenal's training ground, but few of his new teammates enjoyed bigger reputations - or more stellar nicknames - at the age of 17. Brought up at a Welshspeaking school in Caerphilly, Ramsey said: "Several years ago, one of my under-12 managers started calling me Rambo, and I didn't have a clue what he was on about.

"Obviously I've heard of Rambo now, but I wasn't able to go and see his latest film when it was on at the cinema because it's a certificate 18.

"He's not my role model - I try to base my game on Steven Gerrard because I like to attack and get forward at every available opportunity.

"Last year I watched the FA Cup Final at home with friends. I never dreamed I would be playing at Wembley myself 12 months later, so the last few months have all been a bit surreal. It's been an amazing year for me as a lot of my friends are doing their A levels at sixth form college, although I've been studying for the equivalent of a A level in sports science."

Welsh schoolboy champion at 800 metres when he was 13, Ramsey was also a gifted rugby player whom Super League giants St Helens tried to sign only 18 months ago.

Rhys Thomas, assistant head of Ysgol Gyfun Cwn Rhymni, near Blackwood, revealed: "When Aaron played for the school rugby league team against St Helens, one of their coaches inquired about him and asked if he played for a club. But our head of PE, Jeremy Evans, told them, 'Sorry, he's already signed for somebody else - and it's not a rugby league team'.

"He's a bright boy with 10 or 11 GCSEs, and he could have done four A levels, no problems. But Aaron is starting to get mobbed whenever he comes back to his old school now - all the dinner ladies want his autograph."

Ramsey's arrival at Arsenal is a blow for United who thought they had secured his signature a couple of weeks ago after agreeing a deal with Cardiff.

Boss Dave Jones wanted to keep Ramsey for another season, but once Arsenal and United stepped up their efforts to sign him, City had no chance of holding on to him.

Wenger's trump card was the promise of immediate firstteam involvement, which ruled out Ramsey being groomed for the Premier League on a season-long loan back to Cardiff, a suggestion of United's.

Gary Neville showed Ramsey around Old Trafford, while Everton would have given him a clearer route to the first team. But the teenager, who has made only 14 starts for Cardiff, was flown to Euro 2008 to meet Wenger and was impressed by Arsenal's commitment to youth.