Pellegrini: I’ll get Wilshere back into England squad
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has put Jack Wilshere on a special training schedule after telling the injury-plagued midfielder he can get back into the England set-up with his help. Pellegrini’s medical staff at West Ham are monitoring Wilshere’s workload using GPS and the 26-year-old will have his sessions tailored to avoid any setbacks. Wilshere is in line to start against Liverpool at Anfield today and Pellegrini is ‘sure’ the ex-Arsenal player can return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad this season. ‘He is only 26 years old and he was very unlucky in some seasons with so many injuries that he had, but he continued being a different player,’ said Pellegrini. ‘Jack, in the eight or 10 years that he played for Arsenal, he’s a different player. Maybe he will not work exactly the same as the rest of the squad. I’m not scared because the last two seasons he played a lot of games. At Bournemouth (on loan) and at Arsenal he didn’t have too many injuries. ‘He’s a young player. He knows his body and I hope that he will be fit for most of the season. ‘Every day we have the players on the GPS and we know the most amount of metres he does before he has a rest. So that, with the fitness coach and the sport science, will manage his work.’ Asked if he can become an England player again, Pellegrini said: ‘Yes. The technical players make the difference and Jack is the special player that makes different things. So in the way he continues playing every weekend, his performance will be better and I’m sure he will have an option to return to the England squad.’
Wilshere revealed this week he wants to play ‘smarter’ by avoiding going into risky challenges, saying: ‘I cannot remember the last time I completed a full pre-season so it has been good. When I made the decision in the summer, I wanted to get it done early, get a full pre-season in, get to know my new team-mates and I feel good.’
Pellegrini held talks with Liverpool in 2010 when they were searching for a new manager following Rafa Benitez’s departure. The Chilean, 64, had left Real Madrid but the Anfield job ended up going to Roy Hodgson. Pellegrini claims he has no regrets about missing out on Liverpool as he joined Manchester City three years later, winning the Premier League in his first season.
‘My career would have been different if I was in Liverpool,’ said Pellegrini. ‘But I’m so happy about my career. It was not Liverpool but it was Manchester City when I came here to England after three beautiful years with Malaga. A great club, Liverpool, but I had the option to manage some very big clubs.
‘If I had come to England early I would never have been in Malaga. Those three seasons are unforgettable.’