Micah Richards believes Arsenal used to have a player who was a more talented youngster than Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid legend Gareth Bale.
Bale was a highly-rated wonderkid at Southampton and it’s safe to say that he lived up to his potential, with the 36-year-old widely heralded as one of Britain’s greatest-ever players.
Micah Richards was a prodigy at Manchester City as well, which is why his opinion is worth its weight in gold. The pundit is the youngest player to represent England at 18 years and 144 days when he made his debut against the Netherlands.
Jack Wilshere was a top talent and the former Fiorentina right-back claimed that he was a more prodigious young prospect than Gareth Bale.
Micah Richards says Jack Wilshere was a more talented youngster than Gareth Bale
Speaking to BBC Sport, Micah Richards’ justification for backing Wilshere over Bale is simply because the Englishman was playing in the Premier League as a teenager.
Meanwhile, Gareth Bale was playing his trade in the EFL Championship at the same age as the now-Luton Town manager.
Wilshere debuted in the Premier League at 16 years and 256 days against Blackburn Rovers. Bale, on the other hand replicate the same feat against Manchester United at 18 years and one month old.
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'Wonderkids – winner stays on' with Theo Walcott and Micah Richards 💫 pic.twitter.com/RUlB6wf1xv
Micah Richards said: “It’s harder in the Prem obviously, no? So, I’ve got to stick with Wilshere.”
Theo Walcott replied: “Yeah, probably then [Wilshere over Bale].”
Comparing Jack Wilshere and Gareth Bale’s record against each other
With another young superstar of the 2000s in Walcott agreeing with Micah Richards goes to show how naturally gifted Wilshere was.
The retired midfielder is still an inspiration to current Arsenal players, with Eberechi Eze idolising Wilshere.
The former Arsenal technician went head-to-head with Gareth Bale on three occasions.
| Jack Wilshere’s record vs Gareth Bale | Stats |
| Matches | 3 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Losses | 2 |
Interestingly, Wilshere faced Bale for the first time when he went to Bolton Wanderers on loan. Tottenham ended up beating Bolton 1-0. The other two occasions were North London Derbies where Arsenal won 5-2 and 2-1 in the 2012/2013 campaign.
Gareth Bale scored in both games and all in all, trumps Wilshere when they have gone head-to-head.
