Wilshere back in Southgate’s World Cup plan
Manager says return of Arsenal player is a bonus England play Croatia and Spain in Nations League
Gareth Southgate paved the way for Jack Wilshere’s England return yesterday after hailing his latest Arsenal comeback as a “real bonus” ahead of the World Cup.
The England manager declared the midfielder to be exactly the sort of player he wanted available for this summer’s tournament, applauding the “resilience” the 26-year-old had shown in overcoming the injuries which threatened to derail his career.
“It’s a real plus to see him playing at the level he is and looking as fit as he is. We know his quality,” Southgate (below) said of someone once billed as the saviour of English football. “For him to be starting now in regular games, two games a week, playing at a high level, is a real bonus for us.”
Wilshere’s days at Arsenal looked numbered last season when he was sent on loan to Bournemouth but he has been one of the club’s star performers this term. Southgate, who selects his next squad in March for England’s World Cup warm-up game in Holland, added: “We picked him in a couple of squads last season. But I’ve got to say his level of performance is way above what it was then.
“He’s going to Bournemouth on the back of a long-term injury, so there’s some understanding that, physically, it was going to take time to recover from. He’s really playing well now and influencing big games, which is good.
People talk about selection headaches; we want those sorts of decisions because we want those sorts of players available.
“I think any player overcoming injury setbacks of the level that he’s had to, but also any player to get to the top level, they’ve got to have resilience and there’s no question he’s shown that. We’re all hopeful that he can keep that and keep playing.”
Southgate was speaking following yesterday’s draw for the inaugural Nations League, which pitted England against Spain and Croatia in Group Four of League A.
Also at the draw was Michael O’neill, the Northern Ireland manager, who this week snubbed the chance to defect to Scotland.
O’neill instead signed a fouryear contract extension, until 2024, that will earn him £800,000 a year, much more than he was offered by the Scottish Football Association.
Speaking after Northern Ireland drew Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria in Group Three of League B of the Nations League, O’neill said: “There are a number of reasons I didn’t take the job. I felt the right thing to do was to stay where I am.”
Scotland were drawn against Israel and Albania in Group One of League C, while Wales and the Republic of Ireland were both given the chance of revenge in Group Four of League B, the former for their decisive World Cup qualifying defeat by the Republic, who lost in the play-offs to the third team in the group, Denmark. New Wales manager Ryan Giggs said he was looking forward to pitting his wits against fellow Manchester United legend Roy Keane, the Republic’s assistant boss, but refused to say whether he was about to appoint another member of United’s Treblewinning midfield, Paul Scholes, to his backroom team.