Under Arsene Wenger’s guidance, Arsenal fans were used to watching the emergence of some of the best young players in European football.
Wenger had an eye for talent and Arsenal were excellent at providing the platform for the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie to reach their full potential.
And whilst Arsenal brought both Fabregas and Van Persie to the club in their teenage years, Jack Wilshere joined the Hale End Academy at the age of nine.
Wilshere was as homegrown as they come – the kind example that both Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been following on their own impressive route to the first team.
Although, Wilshere’s 197-game Arsenal career was unfortunately one that entailed plenty of frustration owing to injury.
Xavi thought Jack Wilshere had all of the potential in the world at Arsenal
But at the height of Wilshere’s career at Arsenal, a lot of fans will remember a famous night in the Champions League in 2011 when the 19-year-old dominated Barcelona.
Pep Guardiola’s side arrived in N5 with a midfield of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernandez – a trio some consider as the best to ever grace football.
However, in a 2-1 victory for Wenger’s team, Wilshere dominated Barcelona’s famous midfield, a performance that won’t be forgotten in Arsenal folklore.
Speaking to ESPN in an interview four years later in 2015, Xavi reflected on Wilshere’s career to date and the potential that he still possessed, reaching a lofty conclusion in turn.
Xavi said: “If he had a career that had been injury-free we would already be talking about him as one of the top central midfield players in Europe.
“I have played against him, I have watched him carefully, and if he can overcome injuries, then he can still go on and be one of the best midfield players in the world.
“With all respect, he doesn’t play the English way. He has an excellent passing range, an ability not to lose the ball, it is clear that he has had his education at Arsenal.”
He continued: “For many years now the one position England have not struggled with is world-class midfield players – Scholes, and then more recently Lampard and Gerrard.
“Now I see Wilshere as the future of English football, that is why it is so important they keep him fit.”
Jack Wilshere has now helped secure Arsenal’s future success
Unfortunately for Wilshere, his injuries never relented and he ended up leaving Arsenal for a loan at Bournemouth just a year after Xavi’s comments.
Then in 2018 Wilshere left Arsenal permanently before signing for West Ham United as a free agent.
33-year-old Wilshere is now working as an assistant manager at Norwich City in the Championship, perhaps with hopes to one day return to north London.
Of course, the former Arsenal man has already done excellent work with the club’s academy to date – working in a set-up which also involved his ex-teammate Per Mertesacker.
And to that end, Wilshere made some interesting Lewis-Skelly comments recently, a talent who is now thriving for club and country.
