“He has an excellent passing range, an ability not to lose the ball. He is the future of English football”. These were the words of Spanish legend, Xavi. Such high praise some might say but it was hard not to agree at the time. A couple of years before then, Jack Wilshere was strutting his stuff against a midfield that included Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi. It was a Champions league knockout match at the Emirates stadium. The performance of young Wilshere in that match bellied his age so much THE TELEGRAGH regarded him as one whose radar was on par with the Barcelona greats. He was described as having the “Spanish technique but with an English heart” by his manager Arsene Wenger.
WILSHERE STORY TODAY
Fast forward to the current day and it’s safe to say it’s been a bit if not totally downhill ever since that memorable night at the Emirates. There have been factors that have led to this declining trajectory. The incessant injuries, competition for places, lack of match fitness, are just but a few. The injuries in particular have been a major obstacle to this once promising Stevenage born lad. It is important to note that he has only made 46 Premier League appearances during the course of the past three seasons…now that’s not top level material for any professional footballer. Arsene Wenger said, “You have to be consistently present. When you look at all the players who are at the top level in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo, these guys play 50 or 60 games a year”.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Jack Wilshere. It’s hard to see a better central midfielder player like him in the current English squad, but he needs to play a consistent number of games over a consistent number of seasons. He’s just 25 and still has so much time to fulfil his undoubted potential. His fellow professionals believe it, his manager believes it…let’s hope he believes it.
