In February 2011, Jack Wilshere announced himself on the world stage by treating the fabled Barcelona trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets to a midfield masterclass. The 19-year-old ran rings around the esteemed triumvirate for 90 minutes and inspired Arsenal to an unlikely 2-1 Champions League victory. His performance had managers, players and pundits purring, with many predicting he would eclipse the likes of Paul Scholes and Paul Gascoigne and go on to lead Arsenal and England to glory. Fast forward six years and Wilshere was sitting on the Bournemouth bench, unable to displace Dan Gosling from the side he had joined on loan, as they laboured to a 0-0 draw with Southampton. This was wasted potential and bad luck writ large, and it seemed as though Wilshere would never deliver on his promise.
But a year later things are looking up again for the 26-year-old, who is back in the Arsenal team and earning rave reviews for his performances. Gunners fans were crying out for him to be made captain after his eye-catching show of drive, determination and flair in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea six weeks ago. During that game he belted in the opener and stood head and shoulders above his teammates in terms of quality and passion. That is why Arsenal fans love him so much: he is a marvellously talented player, but he also looks like he gives a damn.
In an era of foreign mercenaries surrendering North London derbies in the tamest fashion possible, Arsenal supporters yearn for a return to the days of men like Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Ian Wright. These players understood what local rivalries meant to the fans. They displayed passion on the pitch and would not go missing in big games. They never countenanced moving to a rival club and they enjoyed a strong connection with the fans. Nowadays, supporters see the likes of Samir Nasri, Alexis Sanchez, Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas, Robin van Persie, Gael Clichy and so on turn up for a few years, earn a tonne of money, go missing frequently in big games and then leave to wear the colours of a fierce rival. Jack Wilshere stands out as being different, which is why many fans are so desperate for the club to reward him with a new contract.
After last weekend’s dismal defeat against Tottenham, the only one fighting for the cause was Wilshere. The mercenaries come and go, but he is still battling away. But it would count for little if he were not such a phenomenally talented midfielder too. In an era of sideways passes from the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka, Wilshere is a joy to behold on the pitch. He is always looking forward, bursting up the pitch with the ball at his feet, choosing to play difficult, exciting through balls rather than taking the safe option.
At heart, he is still the same teenager that embarrassed Xavi and Iniesta. “If he had a career that had been injury-free we would already be talking about him as one of the top central midfield players in Europe,” said Xavi, years later. “I have played against him, I have watched him carefully, and if he can overcome injuries, then he can still go on and be one of the best midfield players in the world. I see him as the future of English football.”
It is remarkable that, at the age of 26, we are still talking about Wilshere’s potential. But that is a reflection of the horrendous catalogue of injuries that has plagued – some would say defined – his career. It started in 2011, not long after the performance against Barcelona, when he sprained his ankle. Surgery kept him out for more than a year, and he was dogged by further problems on his comeback. A Paddy McNair challenge in 2014 left him sidelined for four months, and he broke his fibula the following year, missing almost the entire season. In 2016/17, he went to Bournemouth to try to rebuild his career, but failed to light up the team and frequently found himself benched, before another hairline crack to his calf bone cut short his spell on the south coast.
It seemed as though Wilshere would never catch a break, and he spent the first half of this season on the Arsenal bench. But he excelled when given an opportunity in the Europa League, and then finally got a chance in the league when Aaron Ramsey was injured. He grabbed it with both hands and has established himself as arguably Arsenal’s best player in recent months. His form has been one bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Gunners, and he is putting forward an extremely compelling case for inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.
If you take a look at the odds you will see that England are given a decent chance of winning the tournament as only six teams are ahead of them in the betting. They are blessed with a dynamite attack thanks to the likes of Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, but they lack quality in the middle of the park. You would expect Eric Dier to get the nod in the holding role, and Dele Alli will slot in behind Kane, but that leaves room for a central midfielder to link the play between defence and attack, and there are none better than Wilshere in the English game. Anyone trying to put forward a case for Jordan Henderson, Danny Drinkwater, Jake Livermore, Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Ross Barkley would not have a leg to stand on. A fit and healthy Wilshere is vastly superior to any of that group, and Southgate need only look back at recent England games to see that. Wilshere was named Man of the Match in six out of seven Euro 2016 qualifiers he featured in and you can never imagine that happening to someone like Henderson or Drinkwater.
Some might argue that the club has displayed prudence by asking Wilshere to take a pay cut to remain at The Emirates next season, but most fans would be furious if that drove him into the arms of Juventus or Man Utd. Wilshere has the quality to star for either side, and both are said to be interested in signing him. If he continues on his upward curve he could well be named Arsenal’s player of the season, and the least they could do is offer to pay him the same wages he is currently on. The likes of Mesut Ozil have all enjoyed astronomical pay rises, so it seems insulting to offer Wilshere a new contract based on a pay cut, regardless of his injury problems. If he can finally put all that behind him he can become the superstar we all expected him to develop into, and that is surely a risk worth taking right now as Arsenal’s other central midfielders leave a lot to be desired.
Author bio
Martin Green is an experienced sports writer and has been covering the Premier League for many years. He is an Arsenal fan and is desperate to see Jack Wilshere remain injury free, deliver on his promise and lead the team to glory.
