Jack Wilshere
Encyclopedia
Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere (born 1 January 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Arsenal
and the England national team
.
Wilshere came up through Arsenal's youth academy and impressed from an early age. He made his first team debut in 2008, at the age of 16, and was Arsenal's youngest ever league debutante. In his short career thus far Wilshere has earned a number of accolades including the PFA Young Player of the Year
, PFA Team of the Year
, and Arsenal's Player of the Season as voted on by the fans for his performances in his first full campaign for Arsenal during the 2010–11 season
.
, Hertfordshire and currently lives in Hitchin
, where he grew up, attending Whitehill Primary School and The Priory School. He captained The Priory School Football team to County Cup and District Cup glory from Year 7 through to Year 10, and also added the Under 15s National Cup to his list in Year 8, playing alongside Leyton Orient's Jake Argent-Martin and Jack Reeves.
in October 2001 at the age of nine, after a short spell in the Luton Town youth programme. He rose through the ranks, and at the age of 15 was named the captain of the under-16s; he also made a few appearances for the Under-18s. In the summer of 2007 Wilshere featured in the Champions Youth Cup
and upon his return to England, Arsenal Academy coach Steve Bould
gave him a start for the Under-18s first game against the Chelsea Under-18 team
. He scored his first goal against Aston Villa Under-18s in a 4–1 win. He then scored a hat-trick
against Watford Under-18s, helping his side to an Academy Group A title. He finished his first full season with the Under-18s with 13 goals in 18 appearances, most of which coming at age 15.
In February 2008, he made his debut for Arsenal Reserves
aged 16 against Reading, and scored Arsenal's only goal of the match, which ended in a draw. He scored a memorable goal against West Ham reserves in March, picking the ball up and curling a shot into the top corner under the watching eye of Arsène Wenger. He managed to record 2 goals and 2 assists in just 3 appearances for the reserves at the end of the 2007–08 season. He played in the Under-16s victory in the Atalanta Cup, being named as player of the tournament. He played an important role in Arsenal's 2009 FA Youth Cup win, scoring goals in the semi final and producing a man-of-the-match display in the first leg of the final against Liverpool
, assisting two goals and scoring himself.
as a half-time substitute for Henri Lansbury
, setting up a goal for Jay Simpson
. Wilshere scored his first two goals for Arsenal in a 10–2 win against a Burgenland XI, and again two days later in a friendly against Stuttgart
.
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
gave Wilshere a place in Arsenal's first team squad for the 2008–09 season, and he was given the number 19 shirt which he has retained to this day. He made his competitive debut in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers
at Ewood Park
in September 2008, as an 84th-minute substitute for Robin van Persie
. At the age of 16 years and 256 days, he was Arsenal's youngest-ever league debutante, a record previously held by Cesc Fàbregas
. Ten days later, on 23 September, Wilshere scored his first competitive Arsenal goal in a 6–0 victory against Sheffield United
in the Football League Cup
. On 25 November 2008, Wilshere came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League
match against Dynamo Kyiv
, becoming the fifth sixteen-year-old to ever play in the Champions League. In January 2009 Wilshere signed his first professional contract, extending it in July the same year.
. On 22 September 2009, he started for Arsenal in their 2–0 Football League Cup win over West Bromwich Albion
. In the 37th minute of the match, he was involved in a controversial incident with Jerome Thomas
as Thomas pushed Wilshere's face and was shown a red card.
on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season. He made his first league start in the away game at Manchester City
on 9 February, and scored his first Bolton goal, his first in the Premier League, on 6 March 2010 in the 2–1 victory at West Ham United
. He impressed at Bolton and they tried, unsuccessfully, to sign him on loan for another season.
at Anfield
. He followed that up with another start the next weekend against Blackpool contributing with an assist. On 15 September, Wilshere started his first Champions League game of the season providing an assist.
Wilshere was named Arsenal's Player of The Month for September 2010. On 16 October, Wilshere received his first straight red card in first-team football in a Premier League match against Birmingham City for a challenge on Nikola Žigić
. On 19 October, Wilshere scored his first Champions League goal with a chip over Andriy Pyatov
at the Emirates Stadium
for Arsenal in a 5–1 thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage. On 1 November, it was announced that Wilshere had signed a new long-term contract. On 27 November, Wilshere scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in a 4–2 win at Aston Villa. Wilshere was praised for his highly influential display against Barcelona
in Arsenal's 2–1 victory, he completed 93.5% of his passes overall and 91% of his passes in the final third of the pitch. Manager Arsene Wenger described his performance as "outstanding".
In April 2011, Wilshere won the PFA Young Player of the Year
award, and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year
for the 2010–11 season, along with Arsenal team-mates Samir Nasri
and Bacary Sagna
. In his breakthrough season he was also voted Arsenal's Player of the Season, ahead of the likes of van Persie and Nasri.
, manager of Bolton during Wilshere's loan spell, praised his ability to "tackle and take a knock", despite his lack of height. He has been compared to Paul Gascoigne
for his attributes as an all-round midfielder. However, Arsenal head of youth development Liam Brady
noted that Wilshere had problems with his temper early on in his career.
Wilshere has been used in a number of positions, including attacking midfielder, winger
, and most recently deep-lying central midfielder, where he has played in all but one of Arsenal's matches during the 2010–11 season. In Wenger's words: 'He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder.
have decided to play Wilshere in an age group above his age. Wilshere was just 14 when he played for the England national under-16 football team
at the Victory Shield in 2006. At the age of 15, he began playing for the England national under-17 football team
. He was then named in the squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
in May, starting the first two games, particularly impressing in the 2nd game against Germany before going off with an injury which kept him out of the final game. After the tournament, he was named among the 10 future stars from the tournament.
He has also been praised by England
manager Fabio Capello
, who indicated there was a chance that he would include the young midfielder in his 2010 FIFA World Cup
squad, though this did not happen. He also came on as substitute for his England U-21
debut against the Netherlands.
On 7 August 2010, Wilshere was called up to the Senior squad for the first time for their friendly against Hungary
on 11 August. He made his England debut on 11 August 2010, coming on as a 83rd minute substitute for Steven Gerrard
against Hungary.
This made him the 10th youngest player ever to play for the English national team.
On 9 February 2011 he made his full England debut when he started in a friendly against Denmark. He impressed despite playing in an unfamiliar role just in front of the defence and was praised by Fabio Capello.
In March 2011, Wilshere received a police warning for attempting to spit on a taxi driver, who happened to be wearing a hat of Arsenal's rivals Tottenham
, after the driver refused to drive him home because he was too drunk.
On 29 September 2011, Wilshere's girlfriend Lauren Neal gave birth to their son, Archie Jack Wilshere.
Wilshere appeared on the UK and Ireland cover of FIFA 12
alongside Wayne Rooney
. In November 2011, Jack Wilshere became an ambassador for St John Ambulance.
Runner-up:
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Wilshere came up through Arsenal's youth academy and impressed from an early age. He made his first team debut in 2008, at the age of 16, and was Arsenal's youngest ever league debutante. In his short career thus far Wilshere has earned a number of accolades including the PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
, PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
, and Arsenal's Player of the Season as voted on by the fans for his performances in his first full campaign for Arsenal during the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
.
Early life
Wilshere was born in StevenageStevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
, Hertfordshire and currently lives in Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
, where he grew up, attending Whitehill Primary School and The Priory School. He captained The Priory School Football team to County Cup and District Cup glory from Year 7 through to Year 10, and also added the Under 15s National Cup to his list in Year 8, playing alongside Leyton Orient's Jake Argent-Martin and Jack Reeves.
Youth and Reserves
Wilshere joined the Arsenal AcademyArsenal F.C. Academy
Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
in October 2001 at the age of nine, after a short spell in the Luton Town youth programme. He rose through the ranks, and at the age of 15 was named the captain of the under-16s; he also made a few appearances for the Under-18s. In the summer of 2007 Wilshere featured in the Champions Youth Cup
Champions Youth Cup
The Champions Youth Cup was the first edition of an annual football tournament, endorsed by the G-14 group to be a Club World Championship for the Under-19 teams of some of the world's largest clubs....
and upon his return to England, Arsenal Academy coach Steve Bould
Steve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould is an English former football player and current coach. He played professionally for Stoke City, Torquay United, Arsenal and Sunderland.-Stoke City:...
gave him a start for the Under-18s first game against the Chelsea Under-18 team
Chelsea F.C. Reserves and Youth Team
Chelsea F.C. Reserves are the reserve team of Chelsea Football Club. They are members of the Premier Reserve League Southern Division and the reigning champions of the Southern Division winning the Championship in 2010 - 11...
. He scored his first goal against Aston Villa Under-18s in a 4–1 win. He then scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Watford Under-18s, helping his side to an Academy Group A title. He finished his first full season with the Under-18s with 13 goals in 18 appearances, most of which coming at age 15.
In February 2008, he made his debut for Arsenal Reserves
Arsenal F.C. Reserves
Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...
aged 16 against Reading, and scored Arsenal's only goal of the match, which ended in a draw. He scored a memorable goal against West Ham reserves in March, picking the ball up and curling a shot into the top corner under the watching eye of Arsène Wenger. He managed to record 2 goals and 2 assists in just 3 appearances for the reserves at the end of the 2007–08 season. He played in the Under-16s victory in the Atalanta Cup, being named as player of the tournament. He played an important role in Arsenal's 2009 FA Youth Cup win, scoring goals in the semi final and producing a man-of-the-match display in the first leg of the final against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, assisting two goals and scoring himself.
2008–09 season
In July 2008, Wilshere was selected in the first team for the pre-season friendlies. He made his first team debut against BarnetBarnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
as a half-time substitute for Henri Lansbury
Henri Lansbury
Henri George Lansbury is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United, on loan from Arsenal.-Arsenal:Lansbury was born in Enfield, London and grew up in Potters Bar. In 1999, he joined Arsenal as a schoolboy from the books of Norwich City. He has featured regularly for both the club's...
, setting up a goal for Jay Simpson
Jay Simpson
Jay-Alistaire Frederick "Jay" Simpson is an English footballer who plays for Millwall as a striker or winger, on loan from Hull City. He is a product of the Arsenal Academy.-Arsenal:...
. Wilshere scored his first two goals for Arsenal in a 10–2 win against a Burgenland XI, and again two days later in a friendly against Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
.
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
gave Wilshere a place in Arsenal's first team squad for the 2008–09 season, and he was given the number 19 shirt which he has retained to this day. He made his competitive debut in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
in September 2008, as an 84th-minute substitute for Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
. At the age of 16 years and 256 days, he was Arsenal's youngest-ever league debutante, a record previously held by Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
. Ten days later, on 23 September, Wilshere scored his first competitive Arsenal goal in a 6–0 victory against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. On 25 November 2008, Wilshere came on as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match against Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
, becoming the fifth sixteen-year-old to ever play in the Champions League. In January 2009 Wilshere signed his first professional contract, extending it in July the same year.
2009–10 season
In the preparation for the 2009–10 season, Wilshere scored twice and was twice awarded Man of the Match as Arsenal regained the friendly tournament, the Emirates CupEmirates Cup
The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...
. On 22 September 2009, he started for Arsenal in their 2–0 Football League Cup win over West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. In the 37th minute of the match, he was involved in a controversial incident with Jerome Thomas
Jerome Thomas
Jerome William Thomas is an English footballer who plays for West Bromwich Albion predominantly as a left winger, but can also operate centrally...
as Thomas pushed Wilshere's face and was shown a red card.
Loan to Bolton Wanderers
On 29 January 2010, Wilshere joined Premier League side Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season. He made his first league start in the away game at Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 9 February, and scored his first Bolton goal, his first in the Premier League, on 6 March 2010 in the 2–1 victory at West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. He impressed at Bolton and they tried, unsuccessfully, to sign him on loan for another season.
2010–11 season
The 2010–11 football season was a year of breakthrough for Wilshere. On 15 August 2010, he made his first start in the Premier League for Arsenal against LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. He followed that up with another start the next weekend against Blackpool contributing with an assist. On 15 September, Wilshere started his first Champions League game of the season providing an assist.
Wilshere was named Arsenal's Player of The Month for September 2010. On 16 October, Wilshere received his first straight red card in first-team football in a Premier League match against Birmingham City for a challenge on Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
. On 19 October, Wilshere scored his first Champions League goal with a chip over Andriy Pyatov
Andriy Pyatov
Andriy Valeriyovych Pyatov is a Ukrainian football goalkeeper who plays for FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League.- Club :Pyatov started his career in Vorskla Poltava in 2002. He was bought by Shakhtar from Vorskla for approximately £640,000 on 13 December 2006. He spent the rest of...
at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
for Arsenal in a 5–1 thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage. On 1 November, it was announced that Wilshere had signed a new long-term contract. On 27 November, Wilshere scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in a 4–2 win at Aston Villa. Wilshere was praised for his highly influential display against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in Arsenal's 2–1 victory, he completed 93.5% of his passes overall and 91% of his passes in the final third of the pitch. Manager Arsene Wenger described his performance as "outstanding".
In April 2011, Wilshere won the PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
award, and was also named in the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
for the 2010–11 season, along with Arsenal team-mates Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
and Bacary Sagna
Bacary Sagna
Bacary Sagna is a French footballer who plays for Arsenal and the France national football team. His cousin Ibrahima Sonko also plays in England, for Ipswich Town. Sagna is called Bac by the majority of his teammates...
. In his breakthrough season he was also voted Arsenal's Player of the Season, ahead of the likes of van Persie and Nasri.
2011-12 Season
During the summer leading into the 2011-12 Season Wilshere suffered a stress fracture ankle injury while on national team duty. The injury proved a persistent problem throughout Arsenal's preseason and on 23 September 2011 it was reported that Wilshere would undergo surgery to repair the fracture. On 26 September, Arsenal announced that Wilshere had undergone successful surgery and would be out for four to five months.Style of play
Wilshere is a player known for his movement, aggression, dribbling, vision, passing and combination play. More recently, Owen CoyleOwen Coyle
Owen Columba Coyle is a Scottish-born Irish international former professional player and professional association football manager . He is currently the manager of Bolton Wanderers....
, manager of Bolton during Wilshere's loan spell, praised his ability to "tackle and take a knock", despite his lack of height. He has been compared to Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
for his attributes as an all-round midfielder. However, Arsenal head of youth development Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....
noted that Wilshere had problems with his temper early on in his career.
Wilshere has been used in a number of positions, including attacking midfielder, winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
, and most recently deep-lying central midfielder, where he has played in all but one of Arsenal's matches during the 2010–11 season. In Wenger's words: 'He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder.
International career
Since 2006, the England national football teamEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
have decided to play Wilshere in an age group above his age. Wilshere was just 14 when he played for the England national under-16 football team
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
at the Victory Shield in 2006. At the age of 15, he began playing for the England national under-17 football team
England national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
. He was then named in the squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
- Group B :--------------------- Semi-finals :----- Final :- References :**...
in May, starting the first two games, particularly impressing in the 2nd game against Germany before going off with an injury which kept him out of the final game. After the tournament, he was named among the 10 future stars from the tournament.
He has also been praised by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
manager Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
, who indicated there was a chance that he would include the young midfielder in his 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
squad, though this did not happen. He also came on as substitute for his England U-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
debut against the Netherlands.
On 7 August 2010, Wilshere was called up to the Senior squad for the first time for their friendly against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
on 11 August. He made his England debut on 11 August 2010, coming on as a 83rd minute substitute for Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
against Hungary.
This made him the 10th youngest player ever to play for the English national team.
On 9 February 2011 he made his full England debut when he started in a friendly against Denmark. He impressed despite playing in an unfamiliar role just in front of the defence and was praised by Fabio Capello.
Club
Statistics accurate as of 22 May 2011| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2009–10 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
2010–11 | 35 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 2 | 9 |
| 2011–12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arsenal total | 37 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 64 | 3 | 10 | |
| Career total | 51 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 78 | 4 | 11 | |
National team
| National team | Club | Year | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | ||
Personal life
Wilshere was arrested in the early hours of the morning on 29 August 2010 in connection with a "fracas". However, it appeared Wilshere played the role of peacemaker and so did not face charges but received a caution.In March 2011, Wilshere received a police warning for attempting to spit on a taxi driver, who happened to be wearing a hat of Arsenal's rivals Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, after the driver refused to drive him home because he was too drunk.
On 29 September 2011, Wilshere's girlfriend Lauren Neal gave birth to their son, Archie Jack Wilshere.
Wilshere appeared on the UK and Ireland cover of FIFA 12
FIFA 12
FIFA 12 is the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA .....
alongside Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
. In November 2011, Jack Wilshere became an ambassador for St John Ambulance.
Arsenal
Winner:- Premier Academy LeaguePremier Academy LeagueThe Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
: 2008–09 - FA Youth CupFA Youth CupThe Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
: 2008–09
Runner-up:
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2010–112010–11 Football League CupThe 2010–11 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
International
Winner:- Victory ShieldVictory ShieldThe Victory Shield is an annual football tournament competed for by the under-16 teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The competition is broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports who also sponsor the competition...
: 2006, 2007
External links
- Jack Wilshere profile at Arsenal.com
- ESPNsoccernet profile