Still feels the same as there's familiar faces here, reveals Jack Wilshere
Former Arsenal player Jack Wilshere is currently training at the London club's training grounds as he was invited by Mikel Arteta to gain fitness while he attempts to find himself a new club. Wilshere revealed that it was good to be back in training with quality players at a good intensity.
Jack Wilshere rose through the ranks of the Arsenal academy and made his breakthrough for the senior team in the 2008-09 campaign while becoming the youngest player to make his debut in the Premier League at that time. The England international left the Emirates Stadium after spending 17 years at the club for West Ham after making 198 appearances across all competitions. The midfielder scored 14 goals and provided 30 assists during his time at the club and helped the Gunners claim two FA Cups and a Community Shield.
Wilshere's career has been plagued by constant injuries which have hampered his development and hindered his ability to get consistent game time. The midfielder was released by West Ham and Bournemouth after leaving the London club as he struggled to establish himself in both teams and only made very few appearances representing both clubs. The Englishman was invited by current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta as he attempts to gain match fitness and find a new club when the winter transfer window opens. Wilshere admits that it was nice to be back in familiar surroundings surrounded by familiar faces.
“It still feels the same because as I said there's a lot of familiar faces around the place. Obviously, I’ve got a lot of friends that are still here, staff members, people who I haven’t seen since I left. So, it’s nice to be back and to see some familiar faces. But it’s also good to be back training with a good group of quality players at a good intensity,” Wilshere told Goal.
“It’s what I needed at this point and I’m thankful to Mikel and the whole of the club really for giving me this opportunity. Sometimes, it can be difficult for an old player to come back and train with the team but they've all been great. So yeah, it's been tough but I've really enjoyed it,” he added.