Jack Wilshere: Give me a chance, let me prove myself | OneFootball

Jack Wilshere has hit out at clubs for writing him off as an ‘injury waiting to happen’ as he struggles to find a new home.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 08: Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal leave the field at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal at the Nou Camp Stadium on March 8, 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jack Wilshere has an open door at Arsenal to train with the first team but there seem to be no other doors opening for him that would allow him to get back to playing.

Without a club since the end of last season, when Brighton released him at the end of his contract, Wilshere is desperate to get playing again and was on the verge of joining Como in Italy only for Brexit to scupper his plans.

Speaking on the Under The Surface podcast, Wilshere said, “I had this conversation not long ago with my Mrs, I just said to her can you tell me when, not when I’m ‘mugging myself off’, but when I’m trying, training every day on my own and I’m questioning it, having questions on why am I doing this if the club is just saying no.

“I said to the Mrs, look just say to me when it’s enough, stop going to train on your own and maybe try and focus on something else.

“I’m probably paying the price more than I did back then, and I can feel that now because I think it’s a perception and I’ve had this opinion from a few clubs; ‘great player, but an injury waiting to happen’.

“I haven’t been injured since before lockdown, and it was not a serious injury, I’ve trained every day.

“When I was at Bournemouth I was available for every single game, so I feel like it’s a lazy answer because I can. Give me a chance, let me prove myself to you then, show you that I’m fit.”

Clubs in the Middle East and Australia have all been linked with the midfielder, who is still only 29 but while it might be frustrating for him, clubs are right to be wary.

He talks about not having an injury since before lockdown but that’s a deceptive stat as that only covers 21 games.

Throughout his career, ankle injuries alone have cost Wilshere at least 102 games.

When you add in stress fractures, fatigue fractures, hairline fractures, knee injuries and groin problems, you get to a total of 208 games missed through injury since he first burst onto the scene.

That’s five-and-a-half league seasons.

Wilshere played a total of 198 times for Arsenal.

There is, as we have always known, a tremendous player inside Jack Wilshere.

From the days when he tormented Pep Guardiola and Barcelona as a teenager until now, we all know what a talent he is.

Sadly, that skill has been delivered to earth in a body not meant for top-level sports.