Jack Wilshere is claimed to be thinking about a possible move from Arsenal in January, but his recent comments contradict such claims.
The midfielder is being touted as the player who could make a big difference for England next summer, leading to much talk surrounding his season.
You would imagine that Wilshere could only be selected for Russia should he manage to prove his fitness, while earning a regular playing role at club level, and Gareth Southgate lamented that thinking with his comments this week.
The England boss said: “We’re in a position where there’s no way we would dismiss any creative player. But people have to be playing and have to be playing at a good level.”
These comments have no doubt fed the speculative fire, but the player’s recent comments claim he is happy to be back playing for Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger appears keen to have him playing this term.
He said recently: “Jack Wilshere struggled historically with repeated injuries and no one could question his talent, nobody would question his exceptional ability to beat people with the ball.
“But in this job you need to have health. The requests and demands of the competition, physically, are so high and you can only be at your best if you can play at least 10 games on the trot. That’s what’s at stake for Jack Wilshere.
“He needs to keep his health and be capable of competing. If he can play from now until December at the top level, he will be back. If he has other set-backs then it will be more difficult.
“It’s a vital season because he’s nearing the end of his contract, it’s a World Cup year and he has been an Arsenal player since he was a kid, so all that’s at stake for him and for us as well because you’d love a player like him of that quality to come back.
“In fact he had a very good game in BATE Borisov, especially a brilliant first half where he was back to his best, so he’s not far away now. Let’s hope in the next two or three weeks he can play regularly in the first team.”
Would Wilshere really push to move away when he has a role to play at Arsenal and the manager wants him available? Would Russia mean he has to push for more action?
Pat J