Wilshere making most of loan spell at Bournemouth

LONDON: Jack Wilshere said he was stepping outside his comfort zone when he joined Bournemouth in August but feels eager to make major strides during his loan spell after a string of injuries stunted the midfielder’s progress at Arsenal.

Once regarded as one of the brightest young hopes in English football, the 24-year-old slipped down the pecking order at Arsenal after managing only 17 games in two seasons blighted by prolonged spells on the sidelines.

“Sometimes when you are at a top club and you have been at a top club for your whole career and you are playing week-in week-out, it is easy to get in that comfort zone,” the England international told British media.

“For me to come down here and taste a different side of the Premier League, where you have to fight for everything, fight for every point and work as a team, it is definitely out of my comfort zone.”

Wilshere completed his first 90 minutes in the league since September 2014 in Saturday’s goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.

“I haven’t played 90 minutes in two years.

“It’s a long time not to play 90 minutes and when you play game by game you start to get your confidence back and try more things,” he said.

“I am working hard in training but you can’t get that match fitness unless you are playing games.”

Bournemouth, who are 10th in the table, travel to 17th-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday. — Reuters