Jack Wilshere has revealed Arsene Wenger’s friendly response after he was caught smoking in 2013.
The youngster at the time was caught lighting up a cigarette in front of a night club and the picture went viral.
The Englishman received a lot of stick for his actions with some fans baffled that he smoked when he was an elite sportsman.
Arsene Wenger was also critical of him outside, but he has now revealed that in house, the Frenchman’s response to the incident was more friendly and it left him a little shocked.
He was speaking to Sky Sports recently and he recalled the incident very well, remembering that he was very worried about how Wenger would react before the Frenchman eased his worries with a response.
‘I look back now and realise I made mistakes,’ Wilshere said to Sky’s Super 6 podcast.
‘At the time, I thought they (the media) were picking on me.
‘I had support around me, from the manager. Arsene was brilliant like that. I remember the first time I got caught with cigarette and the media put it in the paper and that didn’t really bother me, because I was confident I was doing well enough in football.
‘The one thing that was in my head was “oh my god, the boss in going to kill me”. I remember going in the next day, going up to the training pitch and the boss was there.
‘He was like “don’t worry, when I have a drink I like a cigarette as well!”. I was like “oh my god, thank god for that!”. I learnt things and it’s easier now to get caught out because of social media.’
Wilshere spent five more years at Arsenal. He and Wenger left the club in the same year, 2018, and he has been struggling since then.
Why am I not surprised at how Wengewr reacted.
I contrast how MA would react to a player smoking, even though I know it would be done in house and to the players face in private. I believe realists among us all know how a manager who always puts the TEAMS success before the satisfaction of an erring player would react.
It would NOT be as Wenger did, by saying “its ok, as I also like a smoke when drinking”!
I still have a smoke when I have a drink ,it is what it is .
Enjoy your life how you see fit is the way I go about life .
There worse crimes in life than having a cheeky puff .
Gianluca Vialli used to smoke 20 a day when he was playing ,it didn’t seem to effect him .
Obviously in the long run it does effect you but each to their own .
Sócrates smoked 40 a day and was still sublime Dan 😂 I don’t drink or smoke anymore but in my 20s was a different story 😆
Same for me Kev ,and it wasn’t just beer and cigarettes 😂
You make your life how you want it to be ,make mistakes but it will always make you stronger .
Obviously grown out of that now but wouldn’t have meet my other half if I hadn’t been a knob in my early years .
Have you watched Succession yet mate ,so Fuking good ,as I know you like Yellowstone ,for me miles ahead of that and I like it aswell .
Haha yeah mate we all done it 😝 that’s the way to look at it Dan 👌oh yeah comes a time when the party has to stop 👍 I haven’t mate but it sounds familiar, I must Google it, see what it’s all about.. love Yellowstone, finished all 3 seasons, but could be a long time before season 4 comes out, so I’ll be on the lookout for something to keep me entertained.
Yea try and watch it mate ,my misses and me absolutely loved it and we both watched Yellowstone .
2 Seasons and it’s HBO so no shitty acting
Oh yeah Dan that was the one Sue told me you recommended, i have to take a look at that, it’s got an 8.6 on IMDB 👍 yous will love season 3 especially the ending mate 👍
Dan have you ever seen once upon a time in Hollywood? It’s not a TV show but it’s brilliant I’ve watched it 3 times.. tarantino as his best 👌
Yes mate watched it at the cinema,me and the misses have watched all his films since we got together20 years ago on the big screen ,the only time we go is his films and James Bond movies
love All his films ,django
Unchained being my all time favourite which I’ve seen 10 times probably Once upon a time only a 1 time watch for me but still good ,especially Brad Pitt the hi was quality .
My all time favourite film though Kev is Interstellar ,anything that Nolan does I watch .
We don’t watch any normal tv except from goggle box or fist dates 😂,we spend our evenings watching series or films ,
I can’t watch anything on bbc or ITV ,series all the way .
If you haven’t watched any of these then I’ll recommend .
Warrior
Spartacus
The wire
Succession-watch that sh1t
Queens gambit – new one on Netflix
The mandirion
Dan.. love gogglebox and first dates!!
Who are your faves? Jenny and Lee, Pete and Sophie for me – bloody hilarious!!
Pete and Sophie ,the brother and sister ,always make me chuckle .
Doobies?!! 🤪😄
DAN KIT, it may not have occurred to you but comparing yourself to a Prem footballer is not helpful nor relevant.
You must know that when Wenger came to England and all the many foreign stars such as BERGKAMP came too and our British players then saw how sensibly they lived , not smoking , hardly drinking or not at all , that attitudes changed profoundly among really ambitious and mature(in outlook, not necessarily in years) pro players.
Were you a pro player today, I would have called your philosophy that of a dinosaur but as you are NOT, then you are free to choose to abuse your health. Not a sensible comparison with pro athletes though!
Didn’t know I compared myself to any player let alone a pro one .
My post was more fan based and my life experiences ,read into that as you like .
My bottom line was do what makes you happy .
DAN KIT But you DID compare what he did to what you , as a non elite athlete do and so I pointed out, quite reasonably, that you two people are in quite different circumstances and the comparison is therefore not like with like.
If you were not comparing, then what was the point of your post at all? I might equally as well have posted that I like playing Chess but THAT would have been equally pointless, so I did not post it!
What you do IS of course up to you entirely but the crucial difference is that you do not have countless millions of fans who, indirectly, pay for your living and whose hopes depend on you being as fit as its possible to be.
As you refuse to see that, then further debate is pointless and if want want the last word, then go ahead, as I have said all I mean to say!
@Dan kit
Didn’t effect him…yeah, apart from getting cancer twice! Typically uneducated and dangerous comments from you Dan, you never disappoint!
Again you take my comments out of context and don’t bother to read it all apart from the bit that you think makes you sound so superior,and talking of uneducated and and complete dimwit how’s the phoney pandemic working out for you
Like I said just stay off my posts your just a head case that seems to like an argument ,only comes on here to winge and moan ,your the type of guy that if I said I’ve been to Tenerife you’ve been to elevenerife .
I smoked until my mid 30s and thank God that I was able to give up then. A cheeky puff is one thing but 20+ per day was bad news. I know too many people of my age now with all sorts of smoking related health problems. But of course, when you’re young you’re invincible.
Nice 1 Dan!
Typical Wenger supporting his players on and off the pitch no matter what.
Average and under acheivers,injury prone,out spoken Wenger stuck by them and in the process he brought Afc down in his final years.
Jack is typical,under acheiver,injury prone and many more these guys made a lot of money from Wengers support,jacks ciggy was no surprise cos Wenger had zero discipline for his “boys”.
But the only manager to ever win a gold premier league trophy 🏆 that will be talked about for the next 100 years