On 16th February 2011, 19-year old Jack Wilshere produced one of the most exciting individual English performances in the history of the Champions League.
He was surrounded by legends of the game; Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi just to name a few. But it was this Hitchin-born teenager who caught the headlines in a 2-1 victory widely regarded as the greatest night the Emirates has witnessed. A flawless performance that had everything had the nation in awe of the potential talent that Wilshere might possess in years to come.
His league debut came at Ewood Park at the age of just 16, breaking the record of Cesc Fabregas as Arsenal’s youngest ever league debutant. An England cap was under his belt having become the 10th youngest player to play for the national side and his future was sure to be golden. Surely?
During the 2009/10 season, Wilshere spent a period of time on loan at Bolton Wanderers. Looking back on it, it was a successful move by all accounts, so much so that they tried to sign him again for a further season. This was quickly rebuffed by Arsene Wenger.
The following season Wilshere found himself as an ever present in the centre of Arsenal’s midfield alongside Alex Song, gaining many a plaudit in the process. One of the most notable compliments came from the then-England boss Fabio Capello, who described him as ‘the future of English football’.
With his development going as well as anybody could’ve planned, disaster struck during an Emirates Cup pre-season friendly against New York Red Bulls. Wilshere suffered a stress fracture ankle injury which was initially thought to rule him out until February. However in actual fact, it meant that Wilshere would not participate in a single Arsenal game for the whole of the 2011/12 season. It also meant that he missed the opportunity to play in the 2012 Olympics and the Euro’s in the same year. A nightmare for any young footballer.
After 17 months on the sideline, Wilshere made his return at Loftus Road in a win over QPR where he produced a typically combative performance that saw him named man of the match, seemingly picking up where he left off. The rest of the season continued in the same fashion for the 20-year-old as he continued to impress with his consistently outstanding performances. An injury to Thomas Vermaelen allowed Wilshere to pick up the captain’s armband in a game against West Ham – a credit to his character and determination at such a young age. An injury ruled him out the majority of April before making a substitute appearance in each game of May.
Due to injuries to wingers in the Arsenal side, Wilshere began the 2013/14 season on the left wing. He started finding the net a little more often with goals against Norwich and a brace in a 2-0 victory over Marseille particularly of note.
At the end of the campaign, his goal against Norwich was voted goal of the season. Wilshere continued to feature for England but it was against Denmark that a challenge from Daniel Agger ruled him out for six weeks with a hairline fracture on his foot. This meant that he missed the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan, but he did come on as a substitute in the final against Hull City.
Unfortunately for the midfielder, these injuries started to become more regular and kept him out for longer. This was beginning to have an effect on his chances of being selected for both the Arsenal and England starting eleven.
In November 2014, Wilshere had surgery on his left ankle after damaging ligaments, keeping him out for three months. Upon returning, he scored a long range effort against West Bromwich Albion which was also voted as the goal of the season. This made him the first player in Premier League history to win it consecutively.
After already limited action in the 2014/15 season, it was the next season that was a real low point in Jack Wilshere’s career. Just a week before the season was due to start, he broke his fibula in training, initially ruling him out for a month. Surgery followed this and ruled him out for a further three months. After this, his return to fitness was very slow and he admitted that he was ‘frustrated’ by his injuries. By late April, he finally made his return to the first team as a substitute via the Under-21’s.
The increased regularity in injuries were seriously damaging his hopes of regular game time. This meant that nailing down his first team spot at Arsenal was going to be very difficult with the likes of Granit Xhaka being signed and the wealth of talent already there. Many were surprised but in my opinion it was inevitable when the midfielder was loaned to the south coast to join Bournemouth for the season.
This was Wilshere’s chance to prove his fitness to Arsene Wenger as he faced a fight for his Arsenal future. After a mediocre start at the Vitality Stadium, Wilshere picked up consecutive player of the month awards at Bournemouth and people were starting to see the Wilshere of old. Playing week in week out was exactly what he needed in order to maintain his match fitness.
His performances weren’t always maintained to the highest standard though. This resulted in him finding himself on the bench for a few weeks which, for a player of his reputation, is extremely demoralising. Alongside April arriving, so did another injury as he suffered a hairline fracture to his fibula. This was his last moment in a Bournemouth shirt.
So, what next for Wilshere?
Here we are, one game in to the new season, with no sign of Wilshere breaching into the Arsenal squad anytime soon and no new club for him. Rumours continue to fly around about potential moves to the likes of Newcastle and Juventus. £8M was received from Sampdoria but rejected.
It’s a sad sight comparing this Jack Wilshere to the one that bossed the midfield against Barcelona as a teenager. That teenager in this day and age would be valued at closer to £80M rather than the £8M mentioned. It just goes to prove that injuries kill careers and Wilshere is on a slippery slope that needs to stop.
A solution is required fast if he has any hope of fulfilling what was once seen as a destiny of being ‘the future of English football.’
