Wilshere: I stayed & fought for my place, now I’m back in England squad

JACK WILSHERE was pumping the pedals of an exercise bike on a familiar journey back to fitness when Arsene Wenger wandered over.

Just ahead of the season, Wilshere wanted to get back in shape to resume his Arsenal career.

His manager of a decade had other ideas. As Wilshere stopped spinning the cogs, Wenger told him his career with the Gunners was actually going nowhere fast.

He told Wilshere there would be no new contract and that he should go out and see if there was another club for him.

Effectively, Wenger was telling the midfielder to get on his bike. “It was an honest conversation,” recalled Wilshere.

“It had been boiling up for a while because everybody knew I had a year left on my deal and I had been out on loan, got injured, and wasn’t really in his plans.

“He said, ‘I’m going to be honest with you. At the moment, we are not going to be offering you a contract. So, if you can get a contract somewhere else, you can go’.

“It was a strange one because maybe part of me knew this already – all I needed was some clarity on where I stood.

“Obviously, I was not happy. But he also said at the same time, that if I did stay, I had an opportunity to fight for my place, and if I performed well in the League Cup and Europa League, I had a chance.”

Wilshere did sound out other clubs, but nothing appealed to him, and he had concerns about his fitness.

That is why he decided to start the final year of his Emirates deal and, indeed, fight for his place.

Not only has he re-established himself as a first-team regular, he has now been recalled to the England squad.

But if Wilshere (with Wenger, below) goes to the World Cup, he could face the possibility of becoming a player without a club while still at the tournament.

The 26-year-old and Arsenal are locked in a contract stand-off, with the club happy to give him a new deal but wanting him to take a pay cut.

Neither party seems to be budging but Wilshere would like a conclusion before the World Cup begins.

He says: “I have three months left on my contract and ideally, yes, I want it sorted as soon as possible. I want to go to the World Cup and enjoy it, but we have three months and a lot can happen. Ideally, from my point of view and the club’s point of view, they will probably want it sorted.” As he talks about Arsenal, it is clear his heart lies with the club he joined at just nine years of age. To realise that, you only have to listen to him talking about the first time he officially captained the team. “It was a great feeling,” he smiled. “It was probably one of the best moments of my career. It was the Chelsea game (League Cup semi-final, second leg) and I remember on the day of the match, I was looking around and thinking I had a chance to be captain.

“It was not until 45 minutes before kick-off when the boss told me I was going to be captain. I’ve since done it a couple more times and it is something I want to do at Arsenal more. I really enjoy it and feel like I’ve got a special bond with the fans.”

That special bond is something the club’s board should perhaps bear in mind during any further negotiations.

For now, though, Wilshere – whose last cap came during Euro 2016 – is relishing his return to Three Lions duty.

“Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to put the shirt back on and it will be a special moment,” he added. “It is something I have missed, but I never gave up hope I could do it again.

“I’ve always felt like it is somewhere I belong.” Just like Arsenal, in fact. Yet, if his beloved club don’t come up with a better deal, Wilshere could be on that bike after all.