Devasting and delighting, Wilshere shimmies past Xavi, dizzies Iniesta and skips over Busquets! What a sight and a recurring theme of the night. Jack Wilshere has orchestrated the Gunners’ comeback. The final whistle blows, and the Emirates is thundering, Arsenal have rallied to win 2-1 against Barcelona. The Arsenal faithful chant Super Jacky Wilshere—buzzing at the thought of the 19-year-old becoming Arsenal’s lynchpin—filled with impregnable joy that Wenger has selected him to be the future of the club.
Fast forward from that eventful night in 2011 to September 2017: Arsenal vs Doncaster. Wilshere is making his first appearance for Arsenal since 2015. He has been injured for 1001 days, his career mimics the Club’s state: faltering and stagnant.
Like Arsenal, his career is ways away from being exceptional. This match marks the re-insurgence of his career, as an Arsenal fan, all you want is for this to be true.
Jack Wilshere has been at Arsenal since he was nine, making his senior debut at the age of 16. Wilshere’s quality represents the very best of what the Arsenal academy offers.
His love and dedication to the club despite an injury plagued career; has endeared him to the fans as the Arsenal Man. One can only think about what could have been for club and player had he had remained fit and continued his prolific rise.
17 years and 197 appearances sum it up really and if we are honest the end of the Wenger-era spelled the end of Wilshere’s time at the club. On a financial level, his injuries have been costly for the Arsenal. The club payed over eight million pounds for the two years he was injured. That and the long spells on the side-lines would worry the new manager Unai Emery and the club executives.
Not to say that Jack couldn’t have proved them wrong. On his day, the player has the guile to be a game changer and the ability to thread a pass rivalling that of Luka Modric and teammate Mesut Ozil. The problem Wilshere faces is he needs time to shake-off his injuries and a long run in the team to cement himself as a crucial player in Arsenal’s starting line-up.
The fans want this but if you’re Emery, trying to make the team Premier League contenders, time isn’t a luxury you can afford Wilshere.
From a fans perspective his departure is disheartening. Wilshere is the only Arsenal player in past two disappointing campaigns to not be singled-out for not giving everything for the club. I’m sure Arsenal fans are wishing for the sake of the club, Wilshere doesn’t follow the trend of departed players that go on to win and become even better than they were at Arsenal. His age and ability could make him become one of the above, making fans sing a song all too familiar: ‘if only we had kept him.’
Wilshere’s career is at a crossroads. After being told that he would have limited game time on the back of a 38-game run for the first time in his career shows you why he has chosen to leave.
There is a no longer a place for him at Arsenal, thus with reluctant resignation I, like many other fans who have watched and supported you through it all say thank you and good luck Super Jacky Wilshere.