A few years ago, nobody could have contemplated Jack Wilshere leaving Arsenal or being anything less than the mainstay of the England midfield for the whole of the current decade. But fate and injuries conspired against the gods and have brought him so far down in the pecking order that he decided he had to move to Bournemouth to try and get regular football and get his career back on track.
Regular football obviously suits him and he has now been rewarded with a new England call-up under interim manager Gareth Southgate, but now he is questioning whether he will return to Arsenal next summer. The quality of Arsenal’s midfield has improved drastically over recent seasons and Jack is not very confident he will get to play often even if he returns next season.
The 24 year-old pulled no punches when he was asked if he had made a brave decision to leave the Emirates, and he replied: “I think so (it was brave), but I always thought to myself that, of course I love Arsenal, but if there comes a time when I have to leave, then I have to leave.
“If I go back and I’m still not playing then of course I will have to think about things but at the moment I’m concentrating on Bournemouth. I want to put myself in a position where I go back next year and I’m a better player and I can play, I’m fitter and I have proved to people I can play week-in and week-out and I’m ready for the challenge.
“It was a tough decision for me to go out on loan. I could have stayed at Arsenal, been the player that comes on now and again and starts the odd game here and there. But I wanted to prove (things) to people. When it comes to next year, I think I’ll have that experience and also have said to people that I’ve made big decisions when it comes to my career and when it comes I’ll have to make another decision.”
Despite his failure to become Arsenal’s midfield general, Jack still loves the club and would love to see Arsene Wenger win the title this season. “Of course I want them to win the league,” he said. “I’ve been there my whole career, we’ve been close a couple of times, never quite got there but for the manager (Arsene Wenger) especially, I know that he really believes in that squad.
“He has worked hard over the years, taken a of stick from people and yet that’s always been his goal to win the Premier League. He’s working towards that and I think he’s got a great chance this year.”
Now that Arsenal have got the resources to buy top players in midfield like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, do any of us really believe that Wilshere will ever be good enough to play for the Gunners first team again?
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