MASON LIGHTS UP LAMPS
JACK WILSHERE cited unfinished business in the Premier League behind turning his back on a money-spinning move abroad.
“My decision to leave Arsenal was based purely on playing football.
“I had a good contract on the table at Arsenal that I could have signed and been happy with.
“But I want to be playing in the best league at the best club that I can be. And West Ham as a club stood out for me.
“As soon as West Ham came in – with my family and my bind with the club growing up, it was an easy decision.”
Wilshere knew it was time to walk away from Arsenal after 17 years when newlyappointed boss Unai Emery warned him that life on the fringes beckoned.
He added: “I’m not a player who likes to move a lot. So I wanted to join a club where I’m hopefully going to be until the end of my career.
“And I want to build something like I had at Arsenal and really try to achieve something at a club.”
Wilshere failed to make England’s squad for the World Cup and won his last cap back in 2016.
Now he hopes playing under new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini will reignite his international career. The 26-year-old added: “If I’m playing well then of course I want to be playing for England. I just want to play as many games as possible next season.
“I hope to score a few more goals than I’ve done in the past and try to help the team get back into Europe and finish as high up the league as we can.
“I want to be an important player in the team. That’s when the manager can get the best out of me – when I have responsibility and I’m an DERBY new boy Mason Mount had boss Frank Lampard purring after a classy start to his Rams career.
The 19-year-old joined the Championship club on loan from Chelsea last week.
And along with fellow new signing Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool, and two-goal Tom Lawrence, he played important player.” Wilshere is one of seven summer signings for West Ham, where almost £100million has been invested in overhauling the underperforming squad.
Positive
It’s a clear statement of intent at a club divided by fan unrest amid a toxic atmosphere at the London Stadium last term.
Under-fire owners David Sullivan and David Gold have spent big and Wilshere added: a key part in a comfortable win over Premier League Southampton.
“I know Mason well,” said Lampard. “I don’t want to heap anything on him, it’s up to him.
“He showed it in the Chelsea youth team, which is obviously a decent level. He was outstanding there, he went to Vitesse Arnhem last year and was outstanding there as well.
“This is another level, this is the Championship and it’s going to be a “I was joining a squad before all these new signings and was happy to do that. But the fans want a more positive season. I played at the ground last term for Arsenal and I found it a great atmosphere and it was difficult for us.
“I thought everything, from the facilities to the dressing rooms, was brilliant.
“And the fans made it hard for us. That’s what I remember from Upton Park as well. That is what we can create at the London Stadium.
“We have a difficult start to the season and we’ll know more after three or four games where we are as a team. We want to hit the ground running when we start at Liverpool.”
Derby 3 Southampton 0
long, hard season. But what Mason brings is real energy, real quality.”
Southampton are a couple of weeks behind Derby in their preparations and it showed as the Rams bagged their third through Mason Bennett.
Saints boss Mark Hughes said: “At times we weren’t bright enough, we need to get the sharper elements of our play up to speed.“