WILSHERE TO SWERVE THE BEACH FOR FITNESS

For Jack Wilshere, this will be the summer of sweat. While his West Ham team-mates are plotting where to enjoy their break, Wilshere will aim to start next season in the shape that earned him two FA Cup medals with Arsenal and 34 caps for England. At 27, he should be at his peak but has endured another injuryblighted stint. He came on for 25 minutes against Southampton and now has a definite goal. ‘It has been a frustrating year but I wanted to get back before the end of the season,’ he said. ‘It is a big off-season because I am now fit and I don’t want to come back and start again. I am confident I can play far more games next season.’ Wilshere made a point of acknowledging the debt he owes to manager Manuel Pellegrini. ‘It is important to have a manager who has faith in you and he certainly does that. If I stay in and work hard, I will get minutes.’ Two goals from maverick striker Marko Arnautovic helped a Mark Noble-inspired West Ham easily overcome Southampton. And Wilshere is clear about how highly he rates the Austrian. ‘I have played with a lot of decent strikers and he has got a bit of all of them in there. He is quick, he is strong and he has confidence. He is a player we hope we can keep over the summer. He can help us to get into Europe next season.’