Since breaking into the Arsenal first team in 2010 and playing irregularly for the Gunners before leaving the Emirates permanently in 2018, it is safe to say that luck has not been on Jack Wilshere’s side where game time and injuries are concerned. He has not fared much better since moving to his boyhood club West Ham United and has only made 8 appearances in both of the last two seasons.
He has also not played one minute this season either and was still not ready to take the field against his former club yesterday, but David Moyes took to the press ahead of the game and stated on the West Ham website: “Jack had a scan on his ankle on Wednesday. He’s got a little bit of bone growth on his ankle which is causing him irritation. He rolled his ankle and felt it, so that’s why we got it checked, but he’s OK and he’s back out training.”
The fact is that Jack has never fully recovered after being massively overplayed by Arsene Wenger in his youth years, which Le Prof himself admitted after Wilshere’s ongoing injury problems became evident.
Our manager Mikel Arteta played alongside Wilshere when he came through the Arsenal ranks, and the Spaniard also praised him when he was speaking to the Arsenal website yesterday. He stressed his disappointment about the situation regarding Jack and his injuries, but he also said how important an asset he can be to a team when he is fully fit and firing.
“Sad, it’s a big shame. First of all, for Jack, who as a person – I was going to say as a kid because he was a kid when I played with him – but he’s such a special character with such talent, ability and personality on the pitch. He could have achieved much more, but injuries have been really tough on him. He’s shown time and time again after, that it doesn’t matter how bad those look, he always finds himself in a position to get back and hopefully he can do that again. I think not just me, but everyone else here wishes him all the best. I hope he can come back, he’s done it many, many times. I hope he can maintain that mental strength and that willingness to still be as good as he can, because he deserves that.”
High praise indeed from Mikel, and of all us Gooners know just how good a player Wilshere could have been, if only Wenger was a little more careful with his talent when he was a youngster….